The Beauty and the Beast Retold
by danidangerbear
Summary: This is the tale of two completely different women who come together untraditionally to discover an all too familiar love, all while being at the risk of losing it all to a personally kept monster deep within one girl's soul. M for future chpts
1. Chapter 1

This is just a little story I have been working on, and I chose Alex and Mitchie because they had the right looks for the characters in my story. I would like to note that none of the characters are mine, nor the original beauty and the beast story, but the new and improved story below is all mine. Enjoy! And don't be afraid to review!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

The smell of sausage and eggs filled the small kitchen as Alex cooked her younger brothers and sisters' breakfast before they headed off to school. The room was loud with four different conversations as the three boys and two girls filed in and sat at their respectable seats around the table. So she fed their hungry morning mouths and sent them all one by one on their way off to school for the day. She then began her daily chores. And considering there were seven people that lived in this one cramped Staten Island apartment, there was a consistent daily routine that had to be completed or things would be ten times more chaotic then they already were.

She threw a huge load of laundry in the washing machine, cleaned up the kitchen quickly, and then went to her room that she shared with her sisters, to get ready to go to the market. She stood in front of the mirror staring at her lean 5"2 frame hidden under a ragged old sweatshirt that she had tried making somewhat fashionable by cutting the neck hole further, and letting it drape over her shoulders. She ran a brush through her long dark hair, her eyes following the brush that skated down to her hips. She had such a finely toned body from the constant hustling of children and bustling of chores. She put on what little make-up her father could afford, though she didn't need much. Her green eyes were so beautiful and vivacious in and of themselves, even the slightest amount of make-up could be considered too much. All of a sudden she heard the front door crash open, and the quickened breathing of her father.

"Alexandra! Oh, my dear I'm so happy to see your face!" He called out as he rounded the corner into the bedroom in which Alex had been getting ready for the day. He gave her the biggest hug he ever had as if he were never going to see her again.

"Father! Are you okay? You are so flushed. Here sit down have a glass of water and tell me what has happened to you," she replied kindly, breaking away from his death grip, then continuing to get his glass of water. She settled him down on the bed, and he practically chugged the entire glass thirstily before he began his story.

"Well, as you know I went away for business for the past month," he began his story still just as wide-eyed and frightened as ever, "it took me a good while, but eventually I did find a job as a miller at the American Sugar Refining Company in Williamsburg Brooklyn. After working two weeks as a miller, I had become quite skilled at my job, and grew to produce more in a day than my fellow employees. And Mr. Mitchie Torres caught wind of my outstanding work efforts and sent his second in command, a fellah named William Dick, to come and see what all the talk about me had been. Little did I know then he was also sent to offer me a better and higher-paying job as the mill's clerk. I took him up on his offer, and became the clerk of mill. Aside from making more money to support you kids here at home, I also began to work very closely with Mr. Torres considering I was in charge of the bookkeeping and records of the company," the old man paused to take another sip from his cup, almost as if the story had ended.

"That's it father? That doesn't sound bad at all, why did you seem so terrified when you first got here?" Alex questioned, becoming more and more confused the more she thought all of what had just happened through.

"Well, one day, I'm finishing up some last minute filing when William Dick comes into the bookkeeping room and starts telling me how Mr. Torres was corrupt, cruel, and just using all of us low class workers to make himself wealthy. He told me that the millers were all getting together and creating a plan to overthrow Mr. Torres and take over the mill as their own. And he insisted that he be the new boss and that he would make higher wages, better hours, and working conditions. Then he said they couldn't overthrow Mr. Torres without access to certain information that would essentially ruin him, and that I was the only one with access to that information. I was the only one with the access to the information they needed. It was in a special file in a file room at Mr. Torres's estate off the coast. Mr. Torres only kept the most crucial records at his home with him at all times. But being the bookkeeper I needed access to all his files and records so he trusted me with a key to his home. I accepted Mr. Dick's proposal and went to Mr. Torres's mansion late one night to retrieve the file. But Mr. Torres caught me in my act, and I spilled my guts about Mr. Dick and the miller's plans to remove him from the business. Mr. Torres became enraged and being a very powerful man set up plans to have William Dick not only fired, but killed. He told me I would have to pay for my deceit and that he thought better of me, but that I had used his kindness and generosity as a weakness in order to gain for myself. That I had to suffer, and I too had to die. I begged him not to kill me that I had no idea of Mr. Dick's corruptness, but still he insisted that I must pay. I told him of you guys, my many children and how their mouths relied solely on me to feed them. And he took mercy on me," the old man stopped again for another long swig of water.

"Father that is horrible! What a horrible thing to have happen!" Alex cried out wrapping her father in a big hug once more, relieved that a beast such as Mitchie Torres decided to take mercy on her father's soul.

"He took mercy on killing me, but insisted that I still had to pay. He told me that if I sent someone willing to die for me, then he would spare my life and my job but only as a miller again," her father finished staring off into nothingness. There was a slight pause in which Alex sat staring at her lost and pitiful father, processing the entire story through her head. It wasn't too much longer after he had finished his last sentence before she spoke up, "father, I will go in your place. I am willing to die so that you will not and so you may work to support what is left of this family."

"Alexandra no! I will not let you go in my place! You are my daughter, and I love you too much to lose you like that!" He thundered, rising to his feet and spilling what was left in the glass all over the floor beneath him. He was offended she would even think of offering herself up like this.

"But father, we have no other choice. You are the only one that can work for this family right now, and are guaranteed a job in that mill. You have to put your pride away for a minute and fix the situation you got not only you but this family into. I am willing to go, Genny is old enough now to stay with the younger ones, take over my duties and chores, and assure everything runs smoothly here at home. Don't be so stubborn father, you know this is the only way," she calmly replied to his tirade. He paced wildly across the room mumbling under his breath and shaking his head in response to his utterings. He stopped for only a second to stare at his oldest daughter, and she saw the faintest tear drop from his eye before he turned around and stormed out of the room into his office, slamming every door behind him. She had never seen her father cry. She had always known him to be the rock and stronghold; he had no time to cry. She knew that he had gotten himself into a situation that overwhelmed him more so than he had ever been in his entire life.

So she began to pack her belongings into the few trunks and bags she owned. She didn't feel she needed his permission to make this judgment and she decided herself that she was going to Mitchie Torres's estate and before he killed her she would make sure she made him feel like the worst man alive for what he had done to her father and her family. No matter how stubborn her father was going to be, she knew in her heart that this would be the only way her brothers and sisters would survive in this world, and she would die any day to give them that opportunity.

After she finished packing she went to the kitchen to prepare the last family dinner they would ever have together. The table was loud and full of life as usual, with hands grabbing everywhere and four different irrelevant conversations thick through the air. Alex sat at one end of the table quiet and detached from the rampant family dinner, while her father sat at the opposite end of the table quiet, and unable to as much as eat the food in front of him. When dinner ended Alex and two of the older children helped clean up the kitchen, bath the younger children, and tuck everyone in for the night. She kissed every one of her brothers and sisters on goodnight and farewell on the forehead, letting them know she loved them with all her heart before she went off to the kitchen to prepare some more for her trip tomorrow. Her father entered into the kitchen behind her and immediately sat down at the table with his head in his hands.

"Alexandra, I don't want you to go tomorrow. I don't want you to have to take the fall for my sins. But I know you are going to do what you will against my wishes. You get that from your mother, God rest her soul. I guess I am just so sensitive about letting you go because I love you so much, hell I love all my children so much; they are the only thing I have left in this cold world. First losing my job, then our wonderful home; then losing your mother. I don't think I can handle losing one more thing in my life that means something to me. But you are right, this is the only way. If someone doesn't go for me then no one can provide for this family," he sobbed still holding his head in his hands at the table. A puddle formed beneath where his head hung from the honest tears he cried.

"Father I know this is not something you ever wanted for me or your family, but series of unfortunate events lead us to where we are now, and all we can do is accept what life has dealt, and make the decision that will be less detrimental to the entire family. I will die with honor knowing I have saved my brothers and sisters from their own deaths. And I intend to show that beast, Torres, what it means to really care about another human being!" she stated confidently as she packed the last of a small lunch for her journey. She walked over to where her father sat weeping and placed her hand gently on his back for support. But he would not let all of his pride go and lurched away from her touch, standing to his feet to better recompose himself. He wiped at his eyes and straightened his shabby old coat.

"I will assist you in the journey tomorrow to his estate. We leave right before sunrise, and we must move quickly to make the train in time. Now get some rest my daughter," he said solemnly. He then kissed her forehead and headed to his office again to work late into the night as he frequently did. Alex bathed herself, then she too went to bed for the night.

That morning came faster than she ever had anticipated. She got ready in haste and was ready to go not too long after. Her father came to her with what seemed like a dark cloud over him, and said nothing as he lead her out the door of the home she would never see again. She turned to get one last glimpse of the place she called home for so many years, reveling in her memories of growing up in that yard with her brothers and sisters. But she only had a few seconds for remembrances, for it was her time to go into the world and assure that the home she loved still managed to stand day in and day out.

When they arrived at the train station her father bought two tickets, and they had just made it for the first one out. They gathered Alex's belongings handing them to the loader that loaded them into the luggage cart, and then boarded the train. It wasn't more than an hour ride to Williamsburg, and Torres being the tycoon that he was had a train stop dedicated to his large estate off the coast. They sat in silence afraid to harbor any feelings that may intervene with their mission, but it did not last long for they knew this would be their last time together and neither one wanted it to be miserable.

"So, what does Mr. Torres look like? The way he is described he sounds like an extremely unattractive and calloused man," Alex asked her father who had until this point been staring out the window of the train searching for any other solution than giving up his daughter. He was so lost in thought he almost didn't hear the question as he shook himself back to reality.

"Well dear, I don't know. Not many people have had the pleasure of coming face to face with Mitchie Torres. He's always sending someone else to speak on his behalf, or represent him in a meeting. I am not one of the few people that has seen his face my dear," he responded.

"But when he caught you, and confronted you about your deceit, surely you saw him then," she interrogated confused by his response.

"He was only a shadow when he caught me in his files. His servants seized me and locked me in a room for hours before another one of his servants came to me to deliver the verdict. Other than Mitchie himself standing in the shadows of that room watching me steal the files, he is but a ghost to me as well. But he is so powerful, he doesn't need a face or voice to be as real as he is," her father explained staring out the window the entire time he spoke. She did not question him any further. She could see how worn down her father was by this whole experience, and she felt like it pained him to talk about anything related to Mitchie Torres. So the remainder of the train ride was just as quiet as when it had begun.

The train finally pulled up to the last station around lunchtime, and as Alex and her father stepped off, they immediately saw the largest house they had ever laid eyes on. Granted the mansion was not right next to the train station, there was a good walk out, and down the path assumed to be a massive driveway. But even in its slight distance, the building was still colossal as it sat in the late morning fog. They gathered Alex's belongings and headed down the manmade path towards the house. The closer they came to the front door, the larger the house seemed, and the more embarrassed Alex's father became having been a rather poor man all his life; it shamed him to know that he would never be able to bring this kind of wealth to his family, and would be lucky if any rich man even took one of his daughters.

They finally reached the massive front doors and slammed the gargoyle knockers into the finely crafted wood three times. The doors creaked open, and they both slowly entered the mansion with their heads hung low, as to contain their sudden curiosities. A man dressed as if he were consistently the groom at a wedding greeted them when they came upon the large spiral stairwell in the center of the home.

"Good afternoon, Mitchie is quite busy at the moment, and has insisted that you speak with Miss Caitlyn alternatively. Please follow me to the lobby, were you are welcome to wait until Miss Capri is ready to see you," The finely dressed man lectured before walking off in a different direction assuming they would too follow. Alex thought the man to be very peculiar especially in calling his master by his first name. This whole place was strange and unlike anywhere she had ever been before.

They were lead to an immaculate little room further in the house, to which they took seats in two of the four or five chairs already in their waiting for them. The butler said nothing further, bade them good day, and walked away briskly. Alex hadn't really soaked in the fact that she was being given up by her father to be killed in his place for a fault he had committed himself. Not until she sat in this small room, staring into the deep red walls, waiting to meet the person who would soon to be her captor. Her leg shook vigorously, as she sat there awaiting her fate with her father. Not even fifteen minutes after they had been placed in the room, a small, but pretty woman enters in and asks for Alex's father to follow her to her office.

Now Alex was left on her own in the small room of such an enormous house. She took in a deep breath, slightly hoping it wouldn't truly be her last, when all of a sudden a little blue ball rolled into the room, stopping directly at her feet. Not too far behind the ball was a young scruffy-headed little boy, chasing after his beloved toy. He didn't look older than four, and he didn't notice Alex's presence until he had successfully retrieved his ball and saw her feet. He suddenly became shy trying to hide behind his ball swinging himself from side to side with a huge grin on his face. Alex knelt down to the floor at his level.

"Hey they sweetie, is that your ball?" She asked him kindly. He nodded his head promptly, and then extended the ball out to give it to her. She took the ball in her hands accepting his kind gesture then continued to ask, "What's your name?"

"Valen Fwost," the boy answered struggling to correctly pronounce his 'r'.

"Oh Valen, that is such a handsome name. Where'd you get this pretty ball?" She further questioned enjoying that her last minutes would be spent with someone as adorable and innocent as

"Mitchie gived it me for my birfday," He replied slowly becoming more and more brave. She handed him the ball back and tousled his hair before he ran out of the room screaming at the top of his lungs.

Alex went back to her seat and continued waiting thinking about Valen, and hoping even further that surely a man with a son would not be able to kill someone or anyone's daughter. Surely such a man would know the value of fatherhood and would show more than fair mercy upon a poor family trying to survive in this world. As she thought these facts through, her nerves eased as well as her mind. She used these thoughts as a comforting tool in her last moments to help rationalize the death she was terrified to face. Just then, her father came around the corner ushered by the butler, sent to retrieve Alex.

"Now if you will both follow me, I will escort you to your room Miss, and you two can say your goodbyes," the butler said offering his hand to Alex to help her from her seat.

"My room? I don't understand," Alex queried confusedly.

"Yes my lady, your room. You did not intend on staying?" the butler retorted sounding sarcastic in his arrogant nature.

"No, it's not that. I just didn't think—under the circumstances—that I would even need a room. I figured I would have been dead by now."

"Well miss, I can assure you that is not the case; at least for tonight. I have been instructed by Mitchie to bring you to your room so you can prepare for dinner," He stated as they came upon a room big enough to be its own apartment.

Alex's breath was immediately taken away as she entered what was to be her room for the night. Her stomach became light and fluttery in divergence to the sick and heavy feeling from before when she saw all the wonderful amenities that made up the quaint little living space. She bounced from the vanity, spritzing perfumes in the air and looking through the make-up containers, to the bed, finally falling back to lay on it. She had never in her life seen so many wonderful things in one room that she would get to call her own. This was more of a resort vacation than a funeral march. She decided that her last day was indefinitely the best preparation for death a girl could ask for.

Her father cleared his throat reminding her that he was still there. He was not handling the situation well, so full of pride and shame of what he could not bring to his daughter. He almost just left without saying goodbye because he was not able to bear seeing his daughter so happy in paradise on her death bed. He felt even more shamed to know that he had to have her killed in order to give her such a magnificent lifestyle. But he could not just walk away from his baby girl; not without a proper goodbye. She stopped her celebrations and a deep solemnity fell upon the room, as a reminder of reality and the death thereof.

Her father could not speak in fear of becoming too choked up to say anything so he only gave her the biggest, tightest hug he had ever given anyone. She felt his heartbeat on her chest, and reveled silently in the feeling of her father's life against her doomed chest. The hug lasted for a good twenty minutes before her father forced himself to pull away and walk out of the room without looking back. He knew he wouldn't let any of this happen if he were to look back at his little girl's face, so he pressed on letting one solitary tear slip down his cheek. She was left alone in the room for a few hours before she would go to dinner.

She unpacked all of her things from her trunk, putting them in the drawers and shelves of the many dressers and closets in the room. What little she had seemed as if it were pointless to have brought it as she fumbled through all the beautiful dresses already inhabiting the space. The dresses felt as if they were made of only the finest materials; the wood of the furniture glistened in the sun as if it were the finest mahogany polished every day. She was not accustomed to these kinds of luxuries, and when she ventured into the bathroom she became even more taken aback than before. Gold trim on all the fixtures; spotless black tile floors; large golden mirrors across the walls; it was almost too much luxury for a poor young girl like her to handle all at once. The authentic ivory bathtub sitting so eloquently in the corner beckoned her to lavish herself in all the fine soaps and oils inside of its elaborate cathedra.

She filled the tub with steaming water, turning the entire bathroom into a sauna. She undressed herself leaving her clothes out in the main room, and then ventured to the bathtub letting her body slink down into the relaxing warm water. When she finished bathing, the smell of ripe pomegranates was strong in the air and her skin shined with a radiance it never had before. She wrapped herself in a towel and went back to the bedroom to find a beautiful deep green and beige dress sitting on the bed with a letter on top.

Dearest Miss Alex,

I would be delighted if you would join me for dinner this evening. I have prepared a lovely dress for you to wear to dinner should you accept this invitation. A lovely feast of Lobster Thermidor with vegetables and salad will be served at six o'clock sharp. Should you need any assistance, your housemaid, Harper, will be to your room shortly to assist you.

I hope for your acceptance of this invitation and to enjoy your company at dinner tonight. Thank you graciously for your time.

Sincerely,

Mitchie

She read the letter twice in disbelief. She questioned herself why the man who intended to kill her would be so kind and invite her to have dinner with him with such grace and courtesy. Either Mitchie Torres was the sickest man alive to treat his victims to dinner and sophisticated living before brutally murdering them, or he had another ploy in mind. Also she did not like being told what she was to wear to dinner, nor did she like to be told what to wear at all. But the dress was so very beautiful that when she tried it on and it fit the curves of her body so perfectly, not even her pride could force her to take it off. The dress draped down to her mid shins, which, for the time, was considered extremely promiscuous to show so much of her ankles and legs. The dress was also cut lower at the neckline to show a faint outline of her stunning c-cup breasts, which, also was almost too licentious for the society she lived in. Nonetheless she stood there at the mirror admiring how beautiful she looked in the garment. She was not one to fall into societal standards especially when it came to the way she dressed. She loved when people's eyes were glued to her, and she did not feel as if showing off her ankles and collar bone were all that morally corrupt. And apparently neither did Mitchie or he wouldn't have left her such an ensemble, so she did not further analyze the situation and left it at that to continue getting ready for the night. As she sat down at the vanity to do her make-up there was a subtle knock at the door.

"Come in!" She called out to whoever was at the door. A young woman entered the room, looking to be around Alex's age of twenty or so, and introduced herself as the housemaid.

"Hello Miss, my name is Harper. Would you like help with your make-up?" the house-maid squeaked in a reserved nature much in tune with the name she had been given.

"Oh yes please, I have never used more than eyeliner. Of course my family could never afford much more than that, so most of this is foreign to me, though I would very much like to try some of it out," Alex responded cheerily hoping to ease the girl's nerves as to have a friend she could talk to in her last days. Harper immediately shuffled over to the vanity and gently guided Alex down into the seat before it.

"Now Miss-" Harper began.

"Please, call me Alex. There is no need for this Miss business," Alex interrupted with a slight chuckle at the girl's civility.

"Okay Alex, I think we should start you out with a light peach shadow on the eyelids, and then lightly outline your eyes with deep green shadow. I think it will bring out your eyes magnificently and compliment your dress as well," Harper stated before she started applying the make-up to Alex's face. It didn't take long for Harper to fully finish her face and when she did Alex's hair was almost dry so she combed some upmarket hair oils through it and let the natural soft curl flow through.

Alex went to one of the large bathroom mirrors to view her presence in full. She quite liked what she saw as she gazed at the ravishing woman before her. Harper came up behind her and complimented her look as well with a slight blush. Alex complimented Harper on her make-up skills and thanked her graciously for her help. As beautiful as she now looked and as hard as it was to turn her eyes from the mirror, it was now time for her to go to dinner. So she thanked Harper again, grabbed her clutch and went to the door where a butler had been waiting to escort her to the dining room.

As was every other room in the house, the dining room too had been larger than any she had seen before. There were large expensive paintings across the walls, and a plate set out at every seat though she was sure that it would only be the two of them eating there tonight. She was lead to her seat at the far end of the table to which she sat, and the butler flipped the napkin out and across her lap before walking away. She sat there waiting for fifteen minutes before Valen was shepherded into the room and to a seat across the table from her.

"Well hello again Valen. It's very nice to see you again," She said and the boy just looked up at her and smiled.

At that time, a chef and his waiting staff burst through the doors with two carts full of utensils and food. A tray was set before Alex and uncovered to reveal a lovely garden salad rich with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. She paused wondering if it would be respectful to wait for Mitchie before she start digging in savagely; she had been quite hungry all day having not eaten. She continued to wait for almost thirty minutes watching Valen raze through his salad and continue to inhale his main course of lobster. She had seen Miss Caitlyn enter minutes ago to talk with the chef, and she was becoming more and more famished as she waited.

"Miss Caitlyn!" She called out when she saw Miss Caitlyn had finished her conversation with the chef. Miss Caitlyn acknowledged her call and sat down at the head of the table near her. Before Miss Caitlyn could say anything Alex began, "When is Mr. Torres going to be here? I would hate to begin eating such a lovely meal without the accompaniment of the one who invited me to eat it."

Miss Caitlyn cocked her head slightly looking out across the top of her glasses huffing a grunt that implied Alex's ignorance. "Mitchie," she corrected, "is extremely busy tonight and would like me to condole his sincerest apologies." Alex sat there bewildered letting herself get angrier with every word Miss Caitlyn said as she continued, "I was going to wait until after your dinner, but I was sent tonight to make a business proposal with you. Mitchie is in desperate need of a caretaker for young Valen here, and has graciously agreed to spare your life if you would dedicate your life to his upbringing. Now there are a few-"

"No," Alex rejoined as coolly as her enraged body would allow.

"Well what do you mean no?" Miss Caitlyn asked with a slight chuckle in her voice as if waiting for the punch line she already knew to a funny joke.

"I mean no. As sweet a boy as Valen is, I will not be his caretaker," Alex answered letting the appearance of her cool temperament slip slightly.

"Okay, how about I let you finish your dinner and think it over? Would that be more-"

"I don't think you understand me Miss Caitlyn! I have spent the last night and day preparing myself for imminent death on behalf of my father! I have been terrified for my life for the past twenty four hours telling myself that it is for the good of my family and I must see it through! I can handle the fancy room and amenities, like pampering a hero before they know they will die, but I will not tolerate putting myself through all of that grief and worry only to be told I will be a slave to someone instead because honestly Miss Caitlyn, and I think you could agree with me here, that I would rather die," Alex thundered, her voice echoing off every wall in the large dining room causing every mouth to shut and every eye to be on her. She now stood before Miss Caitlyn who seemed only faintly shaken by Alex's sudden outburst. Alex sustained, "Where is he? I want to talk to him in the flesh! No more lies of being busy, let him be a real man and speak to a lady face to face!"

She screamed this out as if it were a challenge for Mitchie to just magically appear right there in front of her. But Mitchie did not appear and the silence and stillness of the room only served to anger her further. She marched to the dining hall doors to search for Mitchie herself seeing as no one else would for her. But she was blocked by Miss Caitlyn who had rushed over behind her and stood between the door and her.

"No Miss Alex, I don't think you understand _me_! There are no lies, Mitchie is very busy this evening and would certainly be quite infuriated if a young lady such as yourself went storming through this house with intentions to interrupt such business. Now I strongly recommend that you just sit down, finish your meal, go back to your chambers, and think this trough till the morning lest you have a change of heart," Miss Caitlyn threatened as two burly butlers came up behind her ready for further instruction. Alex felt a slight defeat as she stared the three of them down crossly. There were many aspects of the situation in Miss Caitlyn's control, though Alex knew not all was lost.

"I'm not hungry," she said bitterly. Everyone just stood there in astonishment questioning if this girl really had the guts to play this kind of move. Alex did have the guts, "And I won't eat until Mitchie follows through on his invitation, shows his face, and eats dinner with me! If he wants to make a business deal to spare a girl's life, then he should do it like a man in person! Otherwise I will starve myself, and shall die anyways according to the original plan!"

After she was sure they had gotten her message she turned to the opposite end of the dining room from where she had entered earlier that evening, and stormed back towards her room with a butler rushing to keep up behind her the whole way there. She busted through the doors to her room, flung herself on the bed, and began to cry. She heard the gasping breaths of the butler as he finally caught up to her in the room. He bade her goodnight and shut the doors behind him on his way out. She cried a puddle into the bedspread beneath her face, and after countless minutes of sobbing she lifted her head for air and wiped the tears and snot from off her face. She had exhausted herself from how made she had been and how hard she had cried, so much so that she rolled over on her side and gently wept herself to a light nap.

She woke up about three hours later at about ten o'clock at night. She sat up and wiped her groggy eyes viciously in attempt to make sure she wasn't still dreaming and that everything that had happened up to this point had indeed actually happened. The room was still very much there much to her disappointment. She took in a deep breath and sighed it back out before she decided to get off the bed and change out of her dinner dress. When she got to the closet instead of finding a sufficient night gown to change into to go to bed, she found herself looking through the other dresses. She was now wired after a nice nap, and was feeling devious enough to wander around the mansion. She found a nice violet and light purple sundress she wanted to wear, and as soon as she was dressed and the smeared make-up from her crying earlier had been cleared, she sneaked out of her room and down the hall.

She saw many statues, works of art, and odd pieces of furniture as she wandered up and down all the different halls of the house. Amidst her wandering she heard a faint plea for help in the distance. She decided to follow the voice, and she persisted down more hallways and corridors till the noise got louder and louder. She came to large wooden door that she pressed her ear against and heard the clearest cry out she had heard yet. She creaked the door open to see who was screaming and maybe offer some help and when she peaked her head in the room she saw her father chained up to the wall crying.

"Oh my God father!" She screeched as she barged her way in and over to his defenseless, tired body chained to the farthest wall. She tugged and yanked at the chains trying to free him, becoming so frustrated that she could not. She cupped her hand to his face and began to cry when she saw his tear-stained face. "Father what have they done to you? What has that monster done?" She called out again wrapping him in a big hug. He did not have time to respond before the door slammed shut behind her, and the lights dimmed so much they were scarcely on. She looked to her now pale-white father as he gawked directly behind her with his fear-struck eyes.

"Look, I know it's you Mitchie, and you do not scare nor intimidate me like everyone else," she started petrified to turn around but forcing herself to anyways, "I don't know why—who are you?"

The person behind her was not who she expected. It was not a big, hulking, vicious man, but a slightly taller, soft, slender woman. She was quite beautiful even though she was dressed in a pair of men's trousers, a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up her forearms, and overalls. She had shorter dark brown hair that was straight as a board and came down to right before her earlobes. Her face was extremely feminine and more striking than any model Alex had ever seen, with grey eyes that stared into the depths of her soul.

"I am the owner of this house," the strange woman answered glaring at Alex as if she were a child that just broke a parent's orders.

"No, you can't be the owner of this house. A man named Mitchie Torres is the owner of…" she faded off her outward thinking, slowly connecting the dots in her head. She looked to the woman then to the floor, then back to the woman and back to the floor again.

"The owner of the house, yes I am, but a man, well I am afraid not," the woman said.

"Mitchie?" Alex questioned squinting at the woman as if she were a long lost friend she was only just beginning to recognize after many years.

"Enough of this, yes I am Mitchie. Now what are you doing out of your quarters this time of night in my house with my prisoners?" Mitchie demanded stepping closer to Alex. Alex was still slightly shell shocked and had to catch herself to pull it all back together.

"This is not your prisoner this is my father! I was alone and bored in my room so I wandered through the house and this is what I come to find. The whole purpose of me being here was so that he may be free and work to provide for the rest of his many children!" Alex managed to get out. There wasn't as much bite in her words because she was so stunned by this woman before her, the anger was still only numb within her, and it took numerous minutes for the anger to begin its boiling within her again.

"Your 'father' does not deserve life Miss. He sold me out, and then he sold you out just as easily! When he actually had the balls, pardon my language, to come back to my house and offer his beautiful daughter in his place it only enraged me further and made me realize he does not deserve to live. This is all he will continue to do. What kind of man offers his daughters life for his misdoings? Filthy bastard," Mitchie hissed, glaring at Alex's father with a sick hatred in her eyes. Alex finally came to her senses and let her anger free.

"For your information I volunteered to be here! He never wanted me to do it, but I insisted and would not listen to his pleads for me not to! I cannot work to provide for our family! None of the boys are old enough to work yet, and my father is all they have right now to put food in their mouths! I was and still am willing to die for that!" Alex shouted getting right up in Mitchie's face. She knew she could no longer be in Mitchie's presence or she would say things or do things she would indefinitely regret, so she turned to go and before she did she said, "He's not the greatest father in the world granted but he did the best he ever could. Your business is with me now, and I demand that you let him go by tomorrow morning or I will do so myself. He is no longer your property or your concern, I am. Goodnight Mitchie."

With that said, Alex walked out of the room and back to her room to retire for the night. Mitchie stood there watching the movement of her hips as she left the room, bewildered by the woman she had just met. She reached in her pocket for the key to Alex's father's shackles and knelt down beside him.

"What an altruistic daughter ah have there, Lou," Mitchie said sticking the key in Alex's father's chains, "now I'm going to release you, and when I do I want you off my property in less than twenty minutes and to never return or you will be recaptured and locked in a more remote area of my land do you understand me?"

Alex's father nodded his head wildly in agreement, and as soon as he was released from his chains he ran off into to hallways that lead straight out of the house as fast as he possibly could. Mitchie just sat where she was thinking about Alex, smiling at her musings. Alex had a fire inside her and Mitchie liked it. She wanted to get to know Alex better and at some level was glad that her father had screwed up so bad and landed poor Alex right in her lap. After this, it became quite late, so Mitchie stood up, dusted off her trousers and went to bed herself.

Alex awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon and eggs looming in the air. She sat up groggily and wiped her eyes to see Harper carrying the tray full of the rich breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon, and orange juice. Her stomach growled for she had not eaten in over twenty four hours. She was a stubborn girl though and decided she should stick to her guns about not eating, especially after the whole Mitchie nonsense from the night before.

"I don't know why you're bringing that in here Harper. I'm sure you've heard the news, and I know for a fact the cooks have. I am not eating until Mitchie pulls through on her dinner invitation and actually shows up," Alex spoke softly almost regretting her decision to stand strong.

"Look Alex, I know you have a point to prove and everything, but there's no use in starving yourself to prove it. I did hear about your demands, and that is why I snuck this apple from the kitchen. So you don't have to eat the breakfast, and I will take it back all in one piece, but please eat this apple. I will not tell a soul about it," Harper begged pulling the apple from her apron and handing it to Alex. Alex thought it through very quickly and decided she could trust Harper, after all she was starving. The apple disappeared in a matter of minutes even the core. She made sure to drink more than enough water to somewhat make-up for the abuse she was inflicting on her body by not eating.

Harper gave her a warm smile and sat with her at the open window talking about all sorts of things for the short while before she had to take the breakfast back to the kitchen. They talked as if they were old friends and got along quite well, both enjoying the other's company in such a large and lonely house. They only stopped talking for Harper to dispose of the stale breakfast, and when she returned they went right back to talking. Half the day had passed well into the afternoon before Caitlyn came knocking on Alex's door.

"Miss Alex, if you will, tidy yourself up, and follow me to master Valen's chambers," She entreated from her spot at the door, unable to bring herself to look Alex directly in the eyes. Alex knew that Miss Caitlyn knew the answer to her request but was sent to request it regardless. Her demeanor gave her away, how badly she obviously did not want to be there speaking to Alex.

"Now Miss Caitlyn, you know my dilemma. I wish I could help you out, but I will not watch Valen, or eat until Mitchie attends the dinner I was cordially invited to. You may tell her that came straight from the devil's mouth," Alex replied very softly, with lightness that no one in the house had yet seen of her. She winked at Miss Caitlyn as she finished speaking, and turned away to look out the window again. Miss Caitlyn only smiled warmly at the fact that Alex now knew Mitchie's little secret, then she backed away out of the room letting out an, "as you wish," before she disappeared.

The day passed quite slowly, as it would for anyone who was as hungry as Alex grew to be, but dinner time inevitably reared its ugly head and Miss Caitlyn was back once more to ask Alex if she would be attending.

"Will Miss Mitchie be there tonight Caitlyn?" Alex probed as she unpacked the last of her things into the room. Miss Caitlyn paused before answering, deliberating whether to tell the truth or not, and Alex sensed it with ease stating, "Miss Caitlyn, no lies okay. Just be honest with me is all I ask." She was more than sincere when she said this and it seemed to be just the thing to break Miss Caitlyn of her constant steadiness.

"Honestly…no Miss Alex, Mitchie declined dinner tonight and is genuinely busy with other business this evening. She requests that I plead you to eat that she might make dinner tomorrow evening," Miss Caitlyn specified. The sincerity in her voice struck Alex's heartstrings, but she was not going to budge from her decision, no matter what.

"That is very unfortunate Miss Caitlyn, and I do believe Mitchie is busy tonight. I guess I will just have to hold out until tomorrow evening," Alex responded with less confidence. She meant to give some hope to Miss Caitlyn and any other worker in the house that actually cared for her safety that everything would turn out for the best. But she was beginning to have doubts herself, and the relationships she was starting with these people in this house made her question her decision even further as if it were a childish game she had been playing to get her way.

Nonetheless she was still headfast in her decision and watched as Miss Caitlyn sadly left her to her room. She wasn't alone there for long before Harper came back with two apples this time that she had again stolen from the kitchen. Alex accepted them willingly and wolfed them down faster than they had been given. Alex was thankful at this point to have Harper there to assure her survival. She felt she had a good friend for the first time in her life. Of course raising five children by yourself really doesn't leave much room for socialization. She was just thankful for the experience, and that was good enough for her.

Harper stayed for an hour or two, and they talked as they had both grown fond of doing. After their talk Alex was feeling quite exhausted mostly from her lack of nutrition, but Harper bade her goodnight, and left her to herself to rest for the next day. Alex lay in bed fatigued, but found it quite difficult to actually fall asleep. Between the aches and pangs in her starving stomach, and the random thoughts of Mitchie, she felt less and less tired as she lay there still. She thought of Mitchie's eyes staring into hers; of the slight muscle in her forearms, and how her veins faintly popped out when those muscles flexed from movement; she thought of her body, though it had been masked by loose clothing, she imagined every curve and outline hidden underneath. There was no telling how long she had sat there and thought such things, but it was a significant while before she caught herself thinking about Mitchie at all. She shook her head and pressured herself to fall asleep, and not too much longer she got her wish as sleep indeed fell upon her.

She roused early the next morning to Harper lightly tapping on her door and removing the sheets from off her body. "Alex you must wake up and look out your window," she begged, shaking, tapping, poking and prodding the still drained girl in the bed. Alex had trouble pulling herself together enough to wake up as Harper continued to try and get her out of bed. She knew the hunger was finally getting to her, and she begged in the back of her mind that Mitchie come to her senses and just go to dinner so she could finally eat. When she finally did wake up and muster enough energy to roll herself out of bed, she was dragged over to the window by Harper's eager hands.

When she looked out of her window she saw a field of young freshly planted flowers. But not just any flowers, her two favorites purple Hyacinth and light pink Azaleas. It looked as if the beautiful purple and pink patterns stretched out for miles and just the sight of it completely took her breath away. Then on one side of the flowers she saw a figure on their hands and knees digging and planting more. She immediately rushed through her bedroom doors, down hallways and corridors, out the back door and to the side of the house where the field of flowers was still being planted. She ran until she got out to the figure she had seen in her window. It was Mitchie on her hands and knees, digging in the dirt, with her nice trousers rolled up and her feet bare aside from a little dirt. Alex had known as soon as she saw the figure who it was out there planting her garden. She stood there over Mitchie, eyes opened as wide as they could be, and her breathing heavy and sporadic. On one hand she was still angered by Mitchie, but on the other she was swept clear off the ground. She did not know what to do or say, only stood there watching Mitchie; Mitchie solemnly watching her back. Mitchie dropped her tools, stood up, and wiped the excess dirt from her slacks.

"Miss Alex, I know I look a right mess, but…would you care to join me for breakfast?" Mitchie asked extending her dirty hand as she spoke. Alex still could not speak, more lost for words than she ever had been before. Her mind told her no, but her body reacted differently and accepted Mitchie's outstretched hand, allowing herself to be lead to the back patio where a big breakfast like she had received the morning before was served.

She stared down at the bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice before, then looked back up at Mitchie who gave her and approving look. Without a second thought she began to shovel anything and everything on her plate into her hungry mouth. She didn't even slow down to taste the food, just inhaled it as fast as she could. Mitchie had been pretty hungry herself and ate her food quite fast as well, but not the extent that Alex did. She was not disgusted by the almost savage behavior before her though, for she knew the poor girl had to be positively starving. She was mostly just thrilled she was eating again and hoped that Alex never did something like that again lest she harm herself. Alex ate two platefuls of breakfast before she slowed down enough to feel full. When she did finally feel satisfied, she dabbed a napkin to her chin, and again stared at Mitchie who was sipping on a cup of coffee and staring out at the field of flowers she had created.

"How did you know?" Alex asked, finally gathering her capacity to speak after another long silent pause.

"How did I know what?" Mitchie was confused by the question, but turned to look at Alex as she proceeded to sip on her coffee.

"Purple Hyacinth and pink Azaleas…they are my favorite," Alex droned.

"Well, my dear, my workers are just as much _my_ friends as they are yours. If I have a question they will never hesitate to answer, nor keep anything a secret from me," Mitchie responded, a slight smile forming on her lips behind the coffee cup. Alex immediately knew that the only person in this house that she had mentioned it to was Harper, and figured Mitchie must have spoken with the girl at some point to figure Alex out. It agitated her that Mitchie had done so, but knowing that Mitchie had done her research and worked so hard this morning to create such a masterwork for her made it very difficult to stay frustrated.

"It was a kind gesture Mitchie, but I hope you don't think I fully forgive you just because you planted some flowers and ate breakfast with me," Alex dallied seeing Mitchie's face go red with embarrassment. Mitchie did not respond to Alex's declaration simply because she did not know how to, and rather than taking another risk of angering her further, she assumed silence was her best option.

Mitchie's silence and somberness made Alex feel she had hurt Mitchie's feelings by being so curt with her. After all this woman did at least try to do anything within her power to make-up for the last couple of days. Alex had to remind herself that Mitchie was her original captor and she was supposed to have been dead for days now, but instead Mitchie had opened her heart as well as her home to Alex; a gesture that in itself could not go unrecognized no matter how Mitchie acted.

"When I was a little girl, right as my mother was beginning to get sick and my father had to start working more to pay for all the medical expenses to try and keep her alive; he would come home late and routinely would come in the house kiss my forehead, and then give my mother one purple Hyacinth and one pink Azalea. He repeated this night after night until the day she died. He used to tell her 'one purple Hyacinth in apology for having to work so much and not be here with you, and one pink azalea to remind you to take care of yourself for me.' When she died we buried her in thousands of those flowers; they had become her favorite. I even took them to her grave every year by the bushel. To this day they remind me of her smile and how happy she would get every time he would walk into that house with them. Almost as if she never caught onto the routine and it was a surprise every day," Alex recalled after the lingering silence before. Her eyes watered up at the memories of her mother; the memories of life before her mother's death had ruined her father and their family's life. She used all the strength she had to hold back her tears in front of Mitchie, but Mitchie saw the struggle and leaned into Alex grabbing her hands up in her own.

"Hush now, if I would have known the history behind those flowers I would have never planted them. This is all my fault, please don't cry," Mitchie pleaded squeezing Alex's small hands tight. She was now sitting close enough to Alex that their knees were touching and their heads were close. Mitchie could smell the sweet pomegranate bath oils on Alex's skin, and that smell always drove her wild with passion. She felt her blood begin to boil within her as she remained so close to the ravishing beauty before her.

"No Mitchie, don't feel bad. I love the flowers very much so, and my memories tied to the flowers are good ones. It is why they are my favorite flowers. You did good by planting so many for me, it makes me feel as if my mother is here with me," Alex smiled through her tears. She took only one of her hands from Mitchie's to wipe the tears away for she quite liked the feel of Mitchie's warm hands secure around her own. It wasn't until she had finished weeping that she realized she was closer to Mitchie than she had been to anyone before. She could feel one of Mitchie's knees resting between her own knees, and was surprised at her resistance to move away. The sat there for a moment holding hands, staring into the other's eyes, both enjoying the touch of the other. When the cleaning staff came to clean the left over dishes and remnants Mitchie became uncomfortable, broke away from Alex's grasp, and cleared her throat.

"Miss Alex, Master Valen and I would greatly appreciate your accompaniment on the beach this afternoon, as well as your presence at dinner. We will be leaving here in approximately one hour, should you like to accompany us you may return to your chambers to get ready to do so. I truly hope you accept my dear," Mitchie stated standing to her feet and attempting to straighten her hopelessly messy shirt. Alex stifled a giggle at Mitchie's apprehension and sweetly accepted her offer. Mitchie smiled, knelt down to a knee before Alex, and kissed the knuckles of her hand in appreciation, then went off to her room to get ready for the beach.

Alex went back to her room as well to get ready, now feeling ten times better having finally eaten, as well as excited to spend time with Mitchie and Valen on the beach. She put on a light yellow sundress, some big shades, and light-weight sandals. She rushed out of her bedroom door after getting ready and down to the front porch where she found Mitchie and Valen already awaiting her arrival.

"Hey!" Valen called out rushing up to Alex to give her a hug as if he had missed her so.

"Hey buddy, you ready to go to the beach?" Alex asked him after their hug. He nodded his head with a huge smile across his lips.

Mitchie walked up, grabbed one of Valen's hands, leaving Alex to grab the other, and soon enough they started their short walk down the path that lead to Mitchie's private beach. Valen Laughed and swung himself between Mitchie and Alex's grasps on either one of his hands. The closer they got to the water, the more the small boys eyes lit up. When their feet finally touched sand they let go of his hands, and Valen raced straight towards the water. Alex called out to him to be careful, nervous that he would drown being so young, but Mitchie reassured her that Valen loved the water, but he was never brave enough to let it get past his ankles. Alex stopped panicking and walked side by side with Mitchie along the beach as Valen ran through the water alongside them.

"Look Alex, I know you are sore on this subject, but I would like you to watch Valen for me," Mitchie began, and when she saw Alex start to object she cut her off before she could, "please, let me explain. I'm not asking you as 'Mitchie the big business tycoon making a proposition in place of your life.' I am asking as one human being who works hard and long hours in desperate need of someone to watch Valen. You would be paid, very well, for your services, and wouldn't even be treated like 'the help.' I honestly don't treat any of my workers as if they are lower class or beneath me, they are just as much family as any, and most of them have worked with me for years because I've been so good to them."

"Mitchie it is a nice offer, and I believe that you would be good to me, but why me? Why not Harper or one of the workers you have had for years. Someone you know and trust. You barely know me, so how could you trust me enough to watch your kid?" Alex protested softly occasionally finding herself gazing longingly through her shades at Mitchie. Mitchie stepped closer to Alex as they walked; so close their arms brushed together occasionally sending chills down both spines.

"I've already tried everyone else, including Harper who watches him now. He doesn't open up or talk to anyone like he does you. I saw him the first day you came here and his ball had bounced into the room you were in. He has not talked to anybody aside from me in a very long time. He likes you a lot, and it was when I saw the way you two interacted with each other I got the idea. I wasn't thinking about death or repayment of debts or business. I was thinking of Valen," Mitchie relayed. Alex was touched by the sincerity in Mitchie's voice, and the compassion she showed for Valen. They walked in silence for a few minutes, aside from Valen still splashing in the water beside them. Then Mitchie spoke up again, "and by the way, Valen's not my son."

"Oh he's not? Wow, he looks just like you, I'm sorry I assumed," Alex instated. Mitchie smiled an arrogant grin and let out a slight chuckle at the girl's discomfiture.

"He's my little brother," Mitchie finished getting serious once again, "my father died in the war months before Valen was even born, and my mother became extremely depressed that she had lost him, along with post-partum depression after Valen was born. We like to joke around here and say that she had died of a broken heart mostly for Valen to understand for now, but the truth is she killed herself about three years ago. She couldn't handle my father's death or the world around her. Luckily for Valen and me, my father had time to educate me on the family business. He originally thought I was going to be an only child and he wanted to keep the business in the family. I think he died not knowing about Valen. Anyways, it's been me and Valen ever since. I think he looks to me as a mother type figure, but he still understands I'm only his sister," Mitchie confessed hanging her head down, having the slightest difficulty in reliving the painful memory.

"Oh Mitchie, I am so sorry. I know what it is like to lose a parent, but I'm afraid I do not know what it is like to lose both. I am luckier than I thought I suppose," Alex comforted. Mitchie liked that Alex didn't pretend to know how she felt or proceed to tell her what she should do. Alex had simply listened to the story and expressed her sorrow for Mitchie's loss. It was like a breath of fresh air for Mitchie, and it proved to be quite comforting. It was this moment she realized she was falling for this beautiful young woman beside her, and it scared her to death.

"He has been this way since her death, even though it seems he's too young to remember such an event. I like seeing him like this, happy and open," Mitchie said staring off at Valen still playing in the water beside them. Alex saw the most sincere look she had ever seen in anyone's eyes before in Mitchie's now. Alex stopped walking and grabbed Mitchie's slightly larger hands in her own.

"I would love to watch after Valen, don't worry about him he will be fine. Just let me know what time I need to be up in the morning and I will do it gladly," she stated, causing a huge smile to form across Mitchie's lips. Mitchie nodded her head in approval, dropped Alex's hands, and turned to offer her arm. Alex hooked her arm through Mitchie's, and allowed herself to be lead the rest of the way back from the beach. She had her hesitancies about walking with Mitchie in this manner, but it had felt so right to be touching her, and after all she was the master of the house, she couldn't get herself to break away. In fact, she could only draw closer to Mitchie, letting her side brush up against her and soon holding onto Mitchie's arm with both hands. She knew she had never felt like this with another person and she didn't intend on losing the feeling after it had taken her so long to find it. Alex knew at this point she liked Mitchie, perhaps a little more than she should, and with Mitchie's constant flirting, she didn't see any resistance on Mitchie's part either.

"Well, I shall see you tonight at dinner?" Mitchie quizzed as they approached the house again after their walk on the beach.

"Yes you shall, I wouldn't miss such an opportunity as to eat dinner with you Mitchie Torres," Alex responded feeling a little more flirty than usual as she drew closer to Mitchie for a goodbye hug. She could smell Mitchie's perfume on her neck, and it intoxicated her very being. She had to shake her head and grab a hold of herself as she pulled away from the hug just to keep from acting on any new strange feeling of attraction she now had.

"Good then! Master Valen will be retiring early this evening so it will be just me and you tonight. I am greatly looking forward to it! Same time as always," Mitchie called out to Alex as she stumbled backwards off to her office. Mitchie was so shaken up from the hug that she cursed her legs for not working properly beneath her when she fumbled around. Alex giggled at Mitchie's awkwardness, sensing that it had something to do with the hug. Then she too headed off to her own room to do a few chores for the day and then get ready for her dinner with Mitchie.

She bathed the sweat and sand away, then dressed herself in a dress that was a deep purple with light purple trim. It hugged all of her curves magnificently, and pushed her breasts up so much, they looked as if they were about to burst. She wore her long dark hair wavy down her back. She even applied make-up the same way Harper had done the other evening for dinner, and did almost a better job than her maid had done. She spritzed herself in one of the near-by perfumes before checking herself out in the mirror and then heading off to dinner, this time not being escorted by anyone. She had noticed the fact that she wasn't being escorted that evening but didn't think too much of it as she entered through the big dining room doors to find the lights dimmed low, and candles spread and lit along the large dining table. The lovely sound of a violin, cello, guitar, and bass floated throughout the air from the four men that created it in a corner on the far side of the room. Alex's eyes jumped from one thing to the next as everything her eyes touched continued to further take her breath away, until her eyes reached the head of the table where Mitchie was sitting. Alex couldn't breathe, move, or swallow when her eyes beheld the beauty grinning her way at the end of the table.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! Okay, first let me say thank you so very kindly for the reveiws and subscriptions. This story blew up faster than I had initially expected, and it makes me feel so good to know that people like my writing! This being so, I have decided to run with this and see this story through to the end. I don't particularly like short peices, and I have had people agree that the longer chapters are more enjoyable. On that note, please be understanding and forgive my posting time-frames. I promise to not keep you guys hanging for longer than a month, but I cannot promise that I will be able to shoot out chapter updates every day, or even once every week. It is all dependant on my schedule, and the length of the chapter. So, I need you guys to bare with me, and please keep leaving me the lovely reviews! Thank you again! Now, on to chapter 2!

* * *

><p>Alex felt the sudden urge to slap herself, as if she were being held captive to nothing more than a fatuous dream. Given she even had the ability to move any part of her body in the first place, she probably would have slapped herself, more than once, for it's lack of response to Mitchie's gentlemanly gesture of pulling her chair out. Alex would have stood there in her stupor the entire night if it weren't for Harper nudging her towards the awaiting seat. Mitchie rejoined the girl's flustered reaction with a brilliant smile and then proceeded, once the girl had been rightly seated, to delicately push her up to the table. Alex continued to stare off in an awe-struck haze until the music abruptly drowned out to the flooding of dinner-bearing wait staff into the room.<p>

Silver serving dishes were elegantly placed on the table, in-between the candles that burned so fiercely in their determination to set the right mood. The wait staff had the entire dining room completely set-up in record time before they dispersed in all different directions to leave the two women to their feast. This sudden stillness gave Alex the moment needed to finally compose her thoughts, and watched Mitchie's vehemence in amused delight as she ravaged the meal before her savagely; almost as if she hadn't eaten in days. The sudden carnal display produced a stir of laughter within Alex, so quite, that it only made the slightest noise as it passed her lips. As inaudible a wisp of noise as this would have gone unsurpassed by the untrained ear, but to that of a musician, such as Mitchie, the disaccord was unmistakeable to all other sounds. She paused mid-chew, her cheeks still filled to protrusion with food, and glared in the direction of the laughter. This image of Mitchie only served to amuse Alex even further as she burst out into such an intense laughter that brought tears of joy to her lively face.

"What is it that you find so amusing, my dear?" Mitchie managed to conjure after the challenging task of finally swallowing the large amount of food in her mouth.

"How is it that a well-established notable, such as yourself, willingly lacks common manners?" Alex asked in between giggles, "Don't most well-endowed families require special etiquette classes to be taken for situations such as these?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean. Of course I was required to take etiquette classes. I wouldn't have successfully graduated university with a degree in business without them! What's wrong with my manners?" Mitchie cried out defensively, so caught up in the conversation that she failed to notice the traces of sauce staining her cheeks.

"Well, obviously that was not a class you paid much attention in, now was it?" Alex responded, still quite entertained by the situation. Mitchie, however, remained unamused by the other girl's jaunty antics and solemnly pouted over her plate, picking at the remaining food like a young child hesitant to eat their vegetables. "Aw, now don't look so sad. I was only teasing you. I did not mean to insult your prestige; I merely meant it in good humor," Alex continued, after her laughter had calmed and the realization of the other girl's distress settled in.

A bout of silence once again fogged the room. So thick about the air it was, the two girls strained to eye each other in that unyeilding fog. It would not remain this way for long, however, as an upset Mitchie began blundering about, barking orders at her servants, and preparing to retire for the evening. Alex was perplexed by the girl's sudden dissolute change in demeanor. She had not expected Mitchie to react this way to her silly bantering and definitely didn't suspect there to be such a revoltingly vulgar side of someone who had, only a few hours ago, charmed her senseless. Though fearful as she may be, Alex attempted to console the now angry girl before her. Before Mitchie could successfully vanish, she was grabbed by the shoulders and led back to her former seat.

"Now there, there Master Torres. I didn't know you had such a temper; one might keep better track of such a thing so as not to lose it… and there's no need to lose it," Alex coolly cooed as she wiped the food remnants from Mitchie's bewildered face with her napkin. By the act of every dab, their faces drew closer together, until they could easily feel the other's soft breath upon their own lips. The sudden realization of concentrated nearness caused Alex to pause her doting and instead become lost in the tempestuous sea of the set of eyes before her. Mitchie brought her hand up to her cheek to rest where Alex's settled, entrenched among the still grasped napkin.

"M-Miss Alex?" Mitchie stuttered, moving ever so close to the lips that practically begged for her touch.

"Yes Master Torres," Alex uttered in a whisper so light, it was not heard until it reverberated from the lips that had now drawn so tantalizingly close to her own.

"May I have permission…to…k-kiss you?" Mitchie sputtered out, almost as quietly as Alex had responded before. Her eyes battered about in a vicious dance between Alex's eyes and luscious lips.

All at once, Alex began to feel an extreme self-consciousness at the perfect place she held in Mitchie's arms; and the pointed presence of the other girl's legs rested at both her sides. As she stood there between Mitchie's legs, feeling the girl's heat burn her most private of areas, a wave of panic swept over her, and the reality of the current situation became increasingly clear, causing her to push herself away from Mitchie's grasp. She answered with a sharp, "no," before quickly exiting to the nearest hallway, leaving Mitchie behind in a posterior stupor.

Once she felt she had put a surmountable amount of distance between the dining room and her heels, she stopped abruptly to catch her breath and tamed her rapidly paced, effervescent heart. It shocked her how it had been able to run away so fast, yet could not adequately keep up with her tramp down the hallways. So she stood there, in silence (with exception to the gasps of air) leaning against the wall. Her eyes were shut in deep concentration, although, it was only set on recovery. She had no desire to evaluate the situation that had her running in the first place, much less even consider its existence at this point. Any further reminiscence would only serve as an onset to a severe hyperventilation-ridden fit. She dared not take this any further than it had gone tonight.

When she had finally calmed herself to a more normal state, she carried on to her room and immediately prepared herself for bed, determined to sleep away the evening's events. But, to her personal misfortune, she couldn't help but dream about a certain brunette all through her, surprisingly peaceful, slumber.

She was awaken by an intensely bright ray of sunlight that had managed to peak through the barrier of thick curtains and directly into her sleeping eye's path. She silently cursed the unreliability of the trusted curtains as she stumbled out of bed over to them in groggy attempt to conceal the sneaky rays. However, when she got up to the window, before she could snap the curtains closed, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the distance. She wiped more sleep from her eyes, and then opened the curtains an inch more to get a better view of the scene before her. Her heart sank as she watched Mitchie, standing at the small gazebo out in her garden. She noticed that the girl was wearing the same outfit she had worn the night before at dinner, although now it was slightly wrinkled and the shirt was untucked; the suspenders hung loosely at her waist; the ribbon that had held her hair back dangled from one of her pockets letting her hair drape lifelessly across her face; and she was without shoes or stockings, her bare feet slightly smudged with light pond water and mud, delicate in detail, as if only the inspired virtuosity of an artist had painted this scene themselves.

A wave of remorse flooded every fiber of Alex's being, and she greatly wished to comfort the unsprightly girl. She suddenly turned to autopilot as she began collecting the necessary items to begin a quick morning routine. The autopilot mode was determined to dress her as fast as humanly possible, in warring determination to console the imagery that had bestowed this penitent feeling upon her. Her fumbling in desire to be quick clashed haphazardly with the ever-present inclination to façade herself in faultless beauty. She was sadly subservient to this impenetrable weakness, and to wherefore she expended more time than she could formally afford. Time, however, would simply have to be on her side, just this once, for she went on in her venture to reach the objective firmly placed by her subconscious self.

Meanwhile, Mitchie half-heartedly dangled over the railing that surrounded the platform at which she had found herself standing upon since the early hours of the morning. The garden serving as the perfect refuge to an unbearably restless attempt at sleep from the concurrent night. She tore pedals off one of the azaleas she had planted for Alex; successively plucking each one to the recitation of, "she loves me, she loves me not." The irony in her flower selection had gone unnoticed to the self-loathing that now consumed her. Subsequently, every pedal she dropped fell to a footprint Alex had made in the flowerbed below the day she discovered the vast orchard Mitchie had slaved to provide. She smiled at the footprint's disappearance when the last pedal fell to pool with the rest. Then, suddenly, there was a subtle cough that stirred her from her contemplations.

"Excuse me Master Torres, I hope that I am not interrupting anything important. I just wanted to sincerely apologize about last night. The wine must have gotten to me and slightly impaired my judgment as I hope you know that I would never abruptly leave such a momentous occassion otherwise. It was exceptionally rude of me, and I pray you forgive me of such self-regard while being a guest in your home. I cannot express how awful I feel at the thought of it, please…I am so sorry," Alex rambled in slight nervousness, hoping she was doing the right thing.

Upon hearing the apprehension in the girl's apology, Mitchie turned to face her and plastered a couth contrived smile across her lips. "Nonsense! You are as much a Mistress of this house as I myself am. I should apologize for my brash forwardness. I only wanted you to feel completely at home, and may have gotten carried away. Now tell me, how is it that every time we manage to meet like this I manage to look downright awful and you my dear…. Well, you manage to radiate with such enchanting beauty?" Mitchie responded rather quickly, slightly embarrassed at getting caught, dressed as slovenly as she currently was, for the second time in a row.

Alex blushed profoundly at the sincere compliment; so much so, in fact, that the intense heat rising in her face caused her to quickly turn away from Mitchie, hiding behind her aggressive fanning. She was so involved with trying to cool down, she had forgotten to respond at all. The girl's delighted response, however, did not go unnoticed by Mitchie who without a beat added, "Silly me, who questions beauty in all it's splendor? I'm just enraptured that you will tolerate me reveling in your beauty so willingly. And it is for this reason that I would like you to accompany me on a picnic later this evening, so that I may celebrate such beauty after a long days tiring work…and I suppose I wouldn't mind another opportunity to make you blush again as well."

Mitchie's fervent flattery only served to further deepen the red hue in Alex's cheeks. They became so heated from the flush that she instantly agreed in desperate attempt to rid herself of the girl that first provoked them to be that way. After agreeing to meet each other by the back door at precisely six o'clock, the both women set-off to conduct their respectful business. Mitchie went on to clean herself up and continue the running of her mill, and Alex went off to nanny Valen for the day, who had been more than delighted to see her as soon as she entered his room.

The day progressed slowly, each woman getting almost too caught up in their work to as much as think about the upcoming evening. Nevertheless, the day did come to an eventual end. Valen was taken to his afternoon lessons, Mitchie finished up the last minute paperwork in her office, and by six o'clock sharp both women arrived down by the back door of the mansion ready to attend their picnic. A smile immediately came to Mitchie's face the moment she saw Alex. The way the light yellow sundress hung so loosely on the girl's body, yet still accentuating her every feminine curve, made Mitchie's mouth water with want. The flutter in her chest and the intense nervousness she felt from her ogling almost made her drop the heavy picnic basket in her hands. Even so, she managed to pull herself together enough to greet the girl with a gentle, "Good-evening, my dear," followed by a placid kiss across the girl's knuckles. Alex shuddered at the contact before, shrugging it off and turning towards the door, determined to not let it get to her further. Mitchie, ever the gentlewoman, raced ahead to open the door for the shining beauty and motioned with her free arm for Alex to continue before her. Alex gave her a sincere smile before stepping out into the warm afternoon air.

Mitchie guided them, by foot, down a little hidden path through the woods that surrounded the very back of her property. They had walked a good distance through the rather rugged and un-kept terrain before Alex opened her mouth to question their arrival. But before she could even utter a word about her aching feet, Mitchie stopped abruptly, placing a protective arm in front of Alex to stop them of their furtherance. Alex watched Mitchie smile serenely at the huge bushel of ivy and trees that stood strong like a resilient blockade before them. Mitchie quickly disappeared in the brush, and not too long after her disappearance the faint creaking of on old door could be heard amongst the massive mess.

Mitchie poked her still beaming face out from the spot that had previously consumed her, and offered a hand out to Alex, of whom was still hesitant about participating in such a potentially hazardous act. "You want me to go in there? But what about my shoes? And my hair?" Alex whined, hoping to at least half convince the other girl to change course.

Mitchie chuckled at the girl's remark, and offered her hand further with her best charming smile. "Don't worry 'princess'," she began with subtle sarcasm, "I've got you should you fall, and I will clear a path for your beloved hair."

Alex gave her a stern look before taking the other girl's hand and following her into the brushy mess. As soon as she became fully emerged in the green abyss she hugged tightly to Mitchie's arm for support. Mitchie did as promised and used her free arm to hold the vines aside as Alex passed under them in order to protect her hair. They were both growing fonder of the warmth their closeness brought; so much so, that they were reluctant to release each other when they came upon a door almost hidden by the ivy. Alas, they unfettered so Mitchie could use both arms to open the corroded door.

As they passed through, the scenery changed drastically. Alex rested a hand back on Mitchie's forearm and gasped at the beauty of the large grassy field before her. The smell of the warm evening breeze tickled at her nose. In the distance, she could hear the eloquent current waters of a creek. The sun was setting across the hilltops, and it glowed with the most magnificent orange haze skimming across her delicate skin. She found herself so lost in this almost estranged new world that she hardly noticed Mitchie's strong hands guiding her to an apple tree, standing out as the only tree for miles in its solitary spot on the hill. Mitchie set up the blanket beneath it while Alex continued to bask in the scenery's glory. Alex finally broke out of the weird spell the field had cast as soon as Mitchie unpacked the food. She had been quite hungry, and delightedly joined the other girl on the blanket, immediately participating in the prepared banquet before her.

"Oh Mitchie, this tomato-basil pasta salad is to die for!" Alex moaned out in between bites, expressing her immediate approval of the menu. The sudden exclamation caused Mitchie's lips to curve up into a bashful smile.

"I'm glad you like it. It's an old family recipe that, believe it or not, I made myself just for this occasion," Mitchie responded taking another bite of the heavenly dish herself. Alex moaned out her approval once more.

"You never told me you could cook! What a surprise!" Alex slapped the other girl playfully on the arm. Then suddenly her voice grew huskier with subtle hints of lust oozing from her words, "And if I may say so myself, YOU, Mitchie Torres, are one… amazing… cook." Their eyes locked, as the seriousness of the comment settled in. Mitchie shook herself of the frozen moment and turned to remove the rest of the food from the basket behind her.

"Seeing as how you are enjoying that so much, you should try some of this olive-parmesan bread I made to accompany it," she professed, breaking off a piece of the bread dipped in the tomato-basil sauce and offering it to Alex. Utterly lost in the light-hearted mood their playful banter had evoked, Alex, without a second thought, leaned in to towards Mitchie and accepted the offered piece with her waiting mouth; slowly sliding the piece of bread from the girl's fingers desirably.

Mitchie was so entranced, she could only gawk in amazement as she felt the warmth of the girl's mouth slide over her fingertips. A moan escaped her lips at the same time Alex breathed her fervent savoring of the wonderful bread. This gesture had felt so natural to Alex, that she hadn't truly realized what she had just done until her eyes found Mitchie's, wide opened and glassy with passionate hunger. Alex's self-awareness increased by the second as Mitchie leaned in closer, the fire still burning in her eyes.

"Well then, yes-Um…please, I am interested to hear more about your business," Alex interjected right before the distance could be closed between them. She only did so because she knew that if Mitchie would have stayed as close as she was for only a second longer, Alex would have easily closed that distance, and she feared that she may enjoy the result of the ensuing contact. So she scooted away from the other girl, back to her side of the blanket and continued eating the prepared meal.

Mitchie blinked twice and rolled her shoulders in attempt to fight the strong urges that had so easily consumed her. She could not allow herself to look directly at the other girl, knowing she would so easily lose control of herself once again. She took a sip of wine before answering Alex's question, "Well, I believe it is exactly that, just business. I will be honest with you, this business makes me feel this certain darkness inside of me that I greatly wish I could rid myself of… but I guess that is what comes with such power and authority."

"What do you mean darkness? You own a sugar refinery Mitchie…sugar is sweet, tasteful, used to bring a desirable flavor to many different foods; and not to mention its white color which contrasts ever so prominently to all things dark. Surely the financial upkeep cannot even be stressful enough to cause such feelings. So, enlighten me as to what you mean," Alex questioned, unable to remove her concerned eyes from the other woman of whom still desperately avoided her gaze.

"I mean darkness. This company is more than just a sugar refinery... surely you are not ignorant enough as to truly believe that sugar is the cause of my family's wealth. I mean, yes, it flourished immensely in the beginning, but after Sherman's hammer and the Clayton Act were enforced, banning monopolistic running of whole industries, business almost took a complete plunge into bankruptcy. We were forced to compete with other companies and new technologies that practically wiped everything we had formerly established clean. But, my father, the cunning business man that he was, found an alternative solution to sustaining our wealth and family name. It is deeply underground business, of which I cannot explain in great detail to you because of the dangers that proceed in doing so, but I will tell you that, because of the non-government regulated way in which this business is conducted, there are very few rules. And in order to remain on top, there are wicked dealings conducted down below. Regretful dealings, to which I regret immensely having to participate in; dealings that force me to live in solitude, locked away from such an innocent world in a shame I cannot express in its entirety," Mitchie spoke solemnly, her head hanging lower and lower as she explained.

She flinched when she felt Alex's warm hand rest atop her own, an expression of attempted support. Alex felt the remorse in Mitchie's words stab through her as easily as a knife would, and it caused her heart to ache with intense sorrow for the girl in front of her. "Well, I know there is light inside you Mitchie… To be perfectly honest, I can feel it every time you touch me. And, I've always been taught that sin is sin…no matter what you have done- anything from lying to cheating to murder itself-only the sorrow for having done it can avenge those actions. These sinful actions can very well break you, but they never make up who you are. The act of feeling remorseful is the lightness that overpowers the dark, and it is forgiveness that heals the resulting wounds," Alex reassured, lovingly stroking her fingertips across the other girl's hand.

"Yes, but these actions make me such a hideous person; so much so I feel I must always hide my face from the beautiful things of the world, such as your garden…and this field…and people like you," Mitchie muttered in response, removing her hand from Alex's grasp.

"Mitchie, when will you understand? The darkness of our sins are what make us human…the sorrow we then feel for having committed such bad behavior are what makes us beautiful. The ability to forgive, at the hardest of times, for the worst of crimes, makes the imperfection of humanity the most beautiful thing on earth-moreso than any garden, or flowers, art, or physical appearance. And Mitchie, I see so much humanity inside of you," Alex retorted, allowing herself to gradually draw closer to the other girl once again.

By this time, the sun had successfully slipped away to the opposite side of the world, and only the starry sky lit by the full moonlight showered down upon them as they spoke. "Alex?" Mitchie asked softly, in a tone that sounded almost as if she were frightened as to what would happen next.

"Yes, Master Mitchie," Alex responded just as softly, her voice once again deepening to a more licentious tenor.

"Will you lay and watch the stars with me?" Mitchie finally continued, unsure of the other girl's reaction.

A reflective smirk played across Alex's lips as she answered, "of course my Master, I would love to lay and watch the stars with you."

A slight awkwardness ensued between the two, as they struggled to keep composure of themselves amongst the suffocating romance hanging thick within the air around them. They laid down upon the blanket, merely a few inches apart, in a closeness that discouraged physical contact, yet left intense desire for more in the feel of heat radiating from each other's skin. They lay like this for a while, before the need for contact burned what was left of their will and their hands, simultaneously, slid across the blanket beneath them, until their pinkies touched and locked together. Their breath grew rapid, as passion almost fully ruled-out self-control. Both girls allowed themselves, for the first time, to fully submerge themselves in thoughts of the other. It still scared them both greatly, but the simple touch and nearness of the other soothed all anxiety like the most addictive drug. Mitchie once again stirred from the silence, zealous to push further into this new place, "Alex? Would you think it imprudent of me to offer you a gift?" Mitchie sat up as she said this, seeking positive reinforcement in the other girl's eyes so that she may carry on in their dispositions.

"Oh Mitchie, I would never think of you as imprudent for any reason at all! But you didn't have to get me anything…you have already done so much for me by giving me a home, a job, this lovely picnic. I would feel silly accepting more from you after all you have done for me," Alex replied, sitting up as well, in order to better face Mitchie. Mitchie ignored Alex's refusal, rummaged through her shirt, and pulled out a key attached to a chain that hung around her neck.

"Here," Mitchie said, now fastening the key necklace around Alex's neck, "There may be times when you find yourself lost in the darkness of such a big house as mine…I want you to have this so that you might find your way back to the light," she brushed her fingers across the cool brass of the key that now rested in-between Alex's breasts, making the girl's inviting heat even more perceptible.

Alex became speechless by the kind gesture, so much so charmed by the other girl's ways, that her cheeks once again turned a bright shade of red and her face warmed to that of a furnace. This forced an endearing smile to spread across Mitchie's lips as her fingertips slipped up Alex's body from where they rested on her chest, making sure to graze her collar bone lightly on the way, to rest upon the girl's fiery cheeks.

"God, I love it when you blush for me," Mitchie exhaled breathily, while softly stroking the crimson cheeks with her thumb. They had once again become increasingly closer with each display, all four sets of eyes now bouncing between each other's lips and eyes.

As soon as Mitchie felt Alex's breath upon her face, all resolve faded away and getting even closer to the other girl became her only objective. Their faces hovered closely together for what had seemed like hours; representing the only opportunity that Mitchie would offer Alex to back out. However, Mitchie became more and more restless with every passing second until she could stand the wait no longer. Cupping her hand along the other girl's jawline, she slowly pulled her in until their lips lightly brushed together; a kiss so sweet and sensual, that it left both girls eager for more. They pulled away from the first kiss in a daze, and as their eyes slowly opened to see into that of the other's, a ravenous fire instantly raged within them. Alex, now free of her previous inhibition, greedily gripped the lapels of Mitchie's coat and pulled her back in, desperate to feel the other girl's lips on her own once more. A moan escaped both girls' lips as Mitchie laced her fingers through Alex's hair with just as much passion. This second kiss quickly became the release of pure pent up desire as they grappled each other for dominance; kissing roughly, fervently tasting each other's tongues, as if in attempt to suck the very life out of the other to hold onto selfishly as their own. Every elicited moan made their bodies quiver as they unconsciously clung to each other tighter and tighter, struggling to feel the passion play across the other's skin. If it weren't for the apple thudding to the brush below, mistaken for the sound of impending footsteps, that startled them enough to jump apart, they would have consumed each other until there were nothing left.

They were relieved at the fallen apple, both sighing breaths of content, until sudden realization began to break dawn. Mitchie had fallen completely accepting of the strong passion the other girl evoked within her, but Alex, on the other hand had only done so for the moment. Her eyes grew wide and her heart raced furiously in her chest, as she shakily brought herself up to her feet, more than ready to run away from the intense panic boiling within her. So, she did just that, and ran off into the woods, all the way home; letting her tears flow freely and stain her face and sundress with runny make-up, once again leaving Mitchie to stare after her fleeing form in confusion.

* * *

><p>That is the end of Chapter 2! If you have been following this story, but have not left a reveiw yet, please do so now, and to those that have already left reveiws, please leave more! I will begin writing the third chapter immediately, and will post it as soon as I can! Thank you for reading!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you guys for the reveiws! Sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter, the holidays had me fighting to find a good time to write. We are officially half-way through the story now, and I hope you will bare with me as we finish up. Please continue to reveiw! I take every critique into consideration when writing the following chapter, and I would love to write the story in a way that is pleasing for you to read! So, with that being said...

This chapter is the reason this story is rated 'M'. The very end of this chapter is extremely 'M' for explicit sexual acts between two consenting adult females. It is very NSFW! I feel obligatory to pre-warn you if this is something you find offensive or inappropriate. Note that it was purposely written as a significant event in the storyline. I assure you I would not have written it if it weren't important to the plot...

Thank you and enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

After a moment of silence, Mitchie packed away the picnic remnants. _Surely she feels the way I do when we touch! Why would someone run from something that feels so right; so magical? _she mused to herself. After everything had been successfully tucked away, she waited under the apple tree for a minute longer. A malicious battle in her head between desire and rationale ensued. This was the only thing currently standing between her and her beloved. The searing kiss shared with Alex fueled this desire to rush after the girl and break all remaining barriers between them. However, many disenchanting factors blocked any tried attempts: one disapproving society; two disproportionate social classes; three unexplored words, eliciting most powerful emotions; only four overwhelming days in which to feel those emotions; and five irrefutable reasons why Mitchie was not a seemly mate for the divine Alex. She had reached an indefinite standstill.

That was until an apple fell upon her head, knocking in senses she'd never known before. It was as if that apple had fallen by fate; to bring a resolution to self-conflicting war and transform the very life she'd come to know. She spontaneously jumped up, in her reverie, and raced to the mansion, determined to find Alex. She arrived in record time, bursting through the doors with fierce perseverance. She stood there in the entranceway with the wild nature of a scavenger, bestial in appearance. The forest had left marks of opposition on her skin. Her clothing had become tattered and stained, giving her a look highly divergent of her normal disposition. The fire of passion burning in her eyes had been her only recognizable feature-even if it were for something other than what normally fueled it.

About this time, Harper rounded the corner and froze at the ragged display before her. Startled at the rogue sight of her master, the tray she had been holding fell to the floor. The elicited crash echoed throughout the house like a sonic wave, calling attention to all employees nearby. Mitchie paid no mind to Harper, who began barking orders at those around to clean the mess and tend to their master's wounds. She merely shoved past them, as they scuttled about, and sprinted off to Alex's bedroom. The doors to her chambers could not hold Mitchie's persistence as she burst through them intrepidly, stopping only to take much needed breaths.

She stumbled for words at the initial sight of Alex, who sat there eloquently before her, gazing out the window. Alex, on the other hand, gasped in fright. It had only been a weak gasp at the initial intrusion, but grew louder at the bloody state of the girl before her. "Master Mitchie, your arm! It's blee—"Alex began, suddenly attentive to her wounds. Mitchie stopped the girl before she could so much as stand.

"No! Please, let me speak!" Mitchie cut off breathing heavily, "You have completely melted away any of the resolve I had left, Alex Russo! I simply cannot continue to ignore what is happening between us anymore! And neither should you! You have me cooking, and setting up picnics, and counting flower pedals for luck…I can't keep up with what's happening... This is very out of character for me. Ever since you got here I've started this odd transformation into this person I've never known before. I write poetry now instead of writing out future business plans. I started playing piano again, which I haven't done since my mother passed away. And it scares me—God it scares me…none of this happened until you came along…what have you done to me?"

All through Mitchie's rant Alex had drifted closer and closer to the babbling girl. She came so close in fact, that by the time Mitchie had finished speaking, their faces hovered only inches away.

"And I dare not begin to mention those immeasurable moments at which you have rendered me completely speechless…" Mitchie whispered, letting her hand find its way to the other girl's cheek; it pulled her even closer.

"Why is that?" Alex asked.

"In fear of asphyxiation," Mitchie replied in a dreamy tone. Her heart became audible through her heaving chest and their lips drifted slightly closer before she began again, "I fear I may run out of breath before I am able to finish my exaltations of you… and without breath, my love, you might never know the full extent of which I incessantly think of you."

"You're right, you probably shouldn't mention them," Alex responded. This closeness taunted her-tortured her. She pressed her lips to Mitchie's in a sweltering kiss. They clung tightly to each other in their passionate festivity, once again hungry for the other. Alex let out a passionate moan as she took control of the kiss. Her tongue slipped across the roof of Mitchie's mouth, sending shivers down the girl's spine. Alex clenched the lapels of Mitchie's coat in her fist and pressed her backwards towards the bed. As soon as the girl's knees touched the edge, Alex gently pushed her backwards to fall upon the mattress and stood before her. But, to the girl's dismay, Alex suddenly ceased thier play. Mitchie watched longingly as she wandered off somewhere into the bathroom, reemerging with bandages and alcohol. She sat down next to the beaten girl and pulled a bloody arm to her lap.

"You're quite badly wounded love. Here, let me clean you up-Now this might sting a little," she said as she dabbed the laceration with alcohol. Mitchie hissed in pain and jerked her arm away. "Don't be like that Mitchie! I know it hurts, but I am only trying to help you. It's a very deep cut and will get infected otherwise," Alex reassured patiently. She was very calm and nurturing to the other girl, of whom hadn't experienced compassion of this nature ever before. It released a safe vibe that cradled the girl's inner mistrust and pacified her rather zealous nature.

It took very little to get Mitchie to comply as she rolled her eyes and hesitantly offered Alex the wounded arm once more. It was quite an astonishing feat that she had even offered it up in the first place. She had never been good at letting others take care of her, but Alex was different than the world. Alex was someone she could never refuse. She winced quietly as the rag was placed to the abrasion once more, sending excruciating pains through the girl's arm. But the pain soon subsided to the awareness of the other girl's closeness and the fire her touch left on her skin. She sat quietly entranced by the girl as she bandaged her arm and shivered noticeably when a kiss was placed upon the dressing.

"You're shivering love! I hope you haven't come down with a fever," Alex commented, pressing an affectionate hand to Mitchie's forehead. She knew the poor girl had to be exhausted and remembered her mother always saying, "a touch of rest is the quickest road to recovery." She adjusted herself rightly so they could lie down, pulling Mitchie to her when she became comfortable. The girl complied and rested her head on Alex's chest, reveling in the feel of her soft breasts.

"You really are burning up," Alex stated worriedly; her hands now rampantly seeking heat from different regions of Mitchie's face.

"Well, I assure you it is not from sickness my dear," Mitchie bantered. She smiled into the girl's breast at her witticism. Alex calmed at the girl's impishness, relieved of there being no further illness.

"Well, it would behoove you to remember that you are in a lady's chambers-unwelcomed and afterhours at that. Such inappropriateness would surely not serve you well," Alex threatened. However contrary to this statement, Alex hugged the girl tighter and lightly ran fingers through her hair. The conversation was soon forgotten and both girls became very tired. Mitchie dosed off first, lulled asleep by the combing of Alex's fingers through her hair. She too nodded off shortly after, snuggling tightly to the girl above her. That night they slept deeper than they ever had before.

The next morning, bright sunlight shined annoyingly on Alex's face through the fully opened curtains causing her to stir. She first noticed the lightness of her chest. Rolling over in confusion, she reached for the other girl's body. She only felt the emptiness of the sheets everywhere her hand searched. This made her jump up in alarm. Her eyes searched the room for any trace of Mitchie. Her heart raced in anticipation of finding the person who caused her to sleep so very peacefully. When she found nothing, she sighed and hung her head in sadness, knowing all too well it hadn't been a dream. Mitchie's smell still lingered on her sheets.

An abrasive knock at the door broke the girl of her sorrow. "Come in," she called out almost angrily. An overly-joyed Harper burst through the doors, prancing about in ode to the glorious morning. A breakfast cart was rolled over to Alex's bedside, filled with various breakfast foods, the local Sunday paper, and a single glass of orange juice. Harper then sat beside Alex on the bed, grinning widely at her. Alex, however, was not in as bright a mood. Harper, sensing the girl's unease, asked, "Why so glum?"

Mitchie's abscence suddenly caused a swelling of anger to form within Alex. Soon enough, she couldn't hold it in any longer, "I let her fall asleep with me last night, after such a lovely evening-an evening that should have never happened. Oh, but it was such a romantic evening filled with laughter; a candle-lit dinner; charming conversation…it even ended in a kiss-well, more like multiple kisses-but now she's gone. And without ever having said goodbye! Who treats a lady like that? Entices her with a lovely evening, inviting herself to the lady's chambers _afterhours_, falls into a most heavenly sleep in her arms, and then leaves in the middle of the night without a single notice…She should get a peice of my mind! And my fist, for that matter-that conniving, cheapskate, son-of-a—"

"Mistress Alex!" Harper interrupted, "I think you should read the Sunday paper before you finish that sentence. You know… maybe lose yourself in the weekly updates... to take your mind off things." She held the newspaper out to Alex.

"I don't see how it will, Harper. I am thoroughly disappointed with that insufferable prick, and I truly wish to be alone right now—"

"Alex, will you please just read the paper! I'm not asking for you to change how you feel about Master Torres, I am simply asking you to calm the hell down!" Harper yelled. In a state of shock and sudden obedience, Alex took the newspaper from the arduous maid. As she looked down at the front page of the paper and noticed a tiny article at the top that had been circled in red ink. Curious as to why, she read the headline, "Pompous Asshole Leaves Beautiful Girl in the Night." Her heart sunk as she read further:

_My Dearest Princess,_

_I cannot express enough grief in having left you in the night. I wish you knew how much it pained me to do so. How I almost called in sick to work so I could lay there by your side all day; and oh... how close I came to doing so. If there hadn't been an emergency at work, I assure you I would have never left your side! I beg you, forgive my absence. I would be immensely greatful if you would join me for a wonderful candle-lit terrace dinner this evening. Forever yours, Master M.T._

All emotions within her instantly flipped to that of joy. A permanent smile formed across her face. As she finished reading, she held the article to her chest and sighed breathily, suddenly remembering the taste of Mitchie's lips. She completely forgot why she had even been mad with the girl in the first place. Harper sat quietly next to her giving the girl a knowing grin. After giving Alex a few more moments to reread and soak in the lovely gesture, Harper spoke again, "Master Torres is good friends with Jeff Mann, the publisher of the Williamsburg Gazette, and I guess contacted him early this morning and requested this to be published in one newspaper and delivered to you as soon as you woke. I know I might've ruined the surprise with my eagerness, but I just thought it was so unbelievably adorable, and I couldn't wait for you to read it! Please forgive me."

"Oh, no Harper! You did everything just right! Thank you for bringing this to me…it truly is quite sweet of her to have done so. I would like Mr. Mann's contact information though so that I might thank him personally for his participation…" Alex responded. As she spoke, she got out of bed and began readying herself for the day.

"Well, what about Master Torres? She is the one who arranged the idea in the first place," Harper questioned, slightly confused.

"Oh, don't you worry about Master Torres…She will be seeing the very best of my gratitude this evening…" Alex replied, leaving the suggestion of that last phrase to float in the air. Harper, however, only took it to mean the two would become even closer and this justly satisfied her. So she left Alex to her morning routine, making sure to close the doors behind her.

After becoming fully dressed-and ever attentive to her nanny duties-Alex ventured off to Valen's room. She wanted to go to the market today to find a special thank you gift for Mitchie and, upon receiving proper permission, prepared him to go as well. So after dressing him, they left the mansion and walked to the train station. Valen had a deep seeded love of trains and, with a little begging, convinced the conductor to let them ride with him as a favor to the small boy. His face lit up every time he got to blow the train horn. Seeing such excitement in the boy's eyes made Alex remember those young years when happiness had been such an easy achievement. She longed to see such days once more.

In no time at all, they debarked in Manhattan and Valen was sad to leave the train. But with a little coaxing, followed by promises of ice-cream and a second train-ride home, the small boy cheered up. Alex held tight to his hand and led him into the bustling Manhattan streets. The Lower East Side had the lowest prices in Manhattan, but unfortunately was still quite high for a nanny's paycheck. Nonetheless, Alex dragged Valen from store to store in search of the perfect gift. Hours after her rigorous search, she came upon an old family-owned jewelry store that had a large collection of hand-made pocket watches.

So many wonderful peices of jewelry hung in glass cases around the store. When it came to finding the perfect amenity, the small shop proved to hold an exhausting amount to look through. She would stop at one and decide it didn't convey the correct meaning; grimace at others; ask to hold every other, only to shake her head in disapproval. This was a continuous cycle that had her, as well as the shop owners, physically exhausted. Finally, she came upon one she liked. The outside was an elaborately designed butterfly stenciled into silver plating. Alex fell in love with the watch immediately and asked the owner to engrave a special message on the inside cover. When the owner agreed Alex squealed with joy. He told her it would be ready in an hour and with that she left the store with a large smile on her face.

To kill the hour, she took Valen to the toy shop across the street. The small boy celebrated in his excitement to finally participate in something more on his level. Completely frivolous in his excitement, he practically dragged Alex into the toy store and through every isle. She even bought him a little toy train as a reward for his good behavior. That was all the incentive he needed to forever be on his best behavior for the wonderful Alex. After a sufficient amount of time in the toy store, they sat down and ate the promised ice-cream outside the ice-cream shop next door. The chilly treat was delightful in the warm Boston summer air. Valen enjoyed his so much that he had practically bathed himself in it by the time he was finished. Alex had to take him to the bathroom and scrub the stickiness off before they left. Once she had him at least somewhat presentable, they headed back to the jewelry shop.

Business had picked up since they left earlier and the store bustled with happy shoppers. The owner recognized Alex immediately and gave her a warm smile as she approached the counter. She didn't even have to remind him of what she needed. He told her it was ready and walked off to the back room to retrieve it for her. He was back as fast as she could blink, and placed a small box on the table before her. She opened it to find the same lovely pocket watch freshly shined and ready to go. She opened it to find the message she had previously written engraved in cursive splendor. Her breathing faltered as she read the text. She was sure that Mitchie would do the same, especially since she herself had. She was so enamored with the lovely trinket that she failed to notice the large strapping male figure come up beside her.

"Ah, what a lovely piece…is it for a lover?" The male voice asked. The question startled Alex out of her daze. His demeanor made her feel suddenly defensive. He was dressed very well, as an aristocrat would be, but she found it strange that every article of clothing he wore was black. She'd also been warned numerous times to never trust a man with a cape, and couldn't see why she should now. But the lovely manner in which he spoke and the open way in which he carried himself made him seem at least somewhat trustworthy. He had also used the word lover. As if to intentionally suggest that she were buying such a sensual gift for another woman. She knew this was a dangerous thing to be associated with, and remained on guard of herself and Valen.

"What do you mean lover? I have no lover…what would make you think such a thing?"

"Pardon me miss, I did not mean to offend you…I only assumed that such a lovely watch as that would be given to your husband or beau…and the look in your eye as you were staring at it just now implies a great deal of love…I apologize sincerely," The man offered as he turned to walk away. Alex settled down when he revealed his assumption of a husband. She realized it was highly silly of her to have gotten so defensive when that is obviously what anyone would have meant from the start. Even though the man was creepy, she had no excuse to be so calloused. She felt like such a vagrant and hastily decided to offer the man her own apologies.

"No wait! I should apologize. I was quite rude to you for no reason at all. And to answer your question, no, I have no husband... or beau…."she said attempting to speak before he left. He turned back in amusement and once again engaged with the girl.

"Well then, I cannot say I know any other reason for a piece as wonderous as that…only that it truly is one of the loveliest of timepieces I have yet to lay eyes on." As he said this, Alex appreciated the small watch in her hands once more. The gentleman's encouragement further certified that Mitchie would assuredly love her gift.

"I must admit, while not for a lover, it is a gift for someone very special to me," she stated longingly, not remotely cognizant of the amorous gaze that overtook her face yet again.

"Well he is a very lucky man. Say, I'm a well-established businessman. Perhaps I know the fellow. Might I ask his name?"

"Mitchie Torres," the words flowed breathily from Alex's lips. As soon as she realized she had so easily exposed herself and Mitchie she clamped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stood there waiting for what the strange man would do next now that she had uncovered her secret.

"Ahhhh, Master Torres…of the American Sugar Refining Company?"

"Yes…" Alex squeaked out still awaiting uproar.

"You don't say…I am a—oh how would you say—business partner of Master Torres' estate. Honestly, I never knew the man to be a romantic—never knew he had it in him. He's an extremely brutal…businessman. I guess he is a lucky one as well to have captivated a lovely lady such as yourself," his demeanor changed instantly from his initial confident composure. He seemed to exhibit a subtle hint of fear in the mentioning of Mitchie's name. And the fact that he believed Mitchie to be a man appeased Alex's bundling panic. His sudden fidgeting further intrigued the girl. She found his uneasiness increasingly peculiar and wondered why he had such a difficult time speaking directly of Mitchie.

"Sh—I mean, _he-_is nothing more than a lovely person that took me in and gave my family and I a second shot at life. If anything, I owe him more than just some silly old pocket watch for all sh-I mean, _he_-has done for me." Alex cursed herself silently for her near slip-up but noticed that the man quickly shoved it off, seeming as if he hadn't read too much into it. They both stood there in an awkward silence before Alex began packing away the gift and gathering Valen to leave.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, but we must be going Mr. uh…I'm sorry, but I believe I have forgotten your name." Alex said after she placed the jewelry box safely in her purse.

"Well that's because I never gave it to you…I am Master Dean Moriarty…and what do I have the pleasure of calling you beautiful?" He answered smoothly, picking up one of her hands in his own.

"Alex…Alex Russo," she replied allowing him to move closer. She did not know how to feel about his forwardness. It made her mildly uncomfortable, especially with the undefined feelings for Mitchie that lingered in the air.

"Well Ms. Alex Russo…It was a pleasure meeting you…I hope to run into you again very soon." He brought her hand up to his lips for a lingering kiss. A shiver went down her spine. And as he walked away, she realized that it was not a shiver of nervousness or excitement, but one of apprehensive mistrust. Something about him gave her the creeps and she did not want to find out what that something was.

She grabbed Valen's hand and led him back to the train station to head home. There was a different train conductor this time, of whom was not as friendly as the previous one and refused thier company in his quarters, but the smaller toy train seemed to sufficiently distract the boy from any hard feelings. The afternoon sun was slowly preparing to fade away into night and its orange beams kissed Alex's face where it rested upon the window. Her thoughts wandered off to Mitchie—something that, up until quite recently, began to happen quite frequently. So much so, she no longer tried to fight it. She wouldn't dare question her feelings either, contented to just letting them happen as fleeting moments do. In an hour's time, they arrived back to the Torres Manor, exhausted from the day's travels. Valen had been successfully lulled to sleep by the slight vibration of the train cart, and had to be carried home, up to his room. The girl laid him gently in his bed and tucked him tightly into the sheets. She placed his new train by his side and brushed her lips across his forehead. She sighed lovingly when she saw the boy smile in his sleep. Alex had known she would grow attached to the small boy; he was too adorable not to love. But she had no idea it would happen so fast. After a slight moment of watching him sleep she quietly slipped out of his room.

When Alex opened the door to her own room, she found a wonderful turquoise blue gown lying atop her bed. It almost aggravated her how only Mitchie had that ability to confound her so easily. With only one look at the breath-taking garment, she fumbled to free herself of her clothing, desperate for the feel of such glamor upon her skin.

"Oh Mitchie, you have truly outdone yourself with this one," she spoke to no one in particular as she twirled about in the mirror.

The sleeveless bodice hugged every curve of her chest down to the black satin sash tied around her well-defined hips. The lower half of the dress flowed out from the sash down her thighs, to the tops of her knees-much like a waterfall in its alluring blue hue. The petticoat underneath giving the impression of the evening waves flowing to the shores of some long forgotten beach; white frilly lace peaking from the edge of its waters. She was in love with this dress. She hoped Mitchie would be just as satisfied. She completed her outfit with a pair of black closed-toed Cuban heels and Mitchie's key necklace. She then grabbed her clutch and was ushered to the garden terrace by one of the butlers.

She entered to find Mitchie already relaxing at the table with a glass of the finest Bordeaux. Mitchie noticed the girl's arrival almost immediately, and hurried over to escort her to her seat. Alex noted the same turquoise blue color of Mitchie's vest and tie that matched her dress most perceptively. The color popped out noticeably amongst the black button-up shirt and blazer, making her smile.

"I like your pin-stripe pants. It truly ties your entire…ensemble…together," Alex commented, purposely commenting on the only non-matching article of clothing Mitchie wore. This caused her to chuckle slightly to herself at her repartee.

"Why thank you graciously, Beautiful. I had figured you would adore this…ensemble," Mitchie countered effortlessly, gesturing to both outfits to illustrate the witty double-meaning of the word. Alex's eyes followed the movement of Mitchie's hand. It was at this moment she realized just how much she loved this shade of blue, as becoming as it was on Mitchie. She had the sudden urge to reach out and feel the satiny blue of the other girl's vest; to run her fingertips along the fine pleats of those very pin-stripe pants. She longed to fall into the ocean of color between them, tangled around the lovely torso resting beneath that velvet-like jacket.

Alex's eyes were wide and glassy, and her mouth watered at the thought. Mitchie, however, did not know how to take this sudden moment of silence and worried that she had said the wrong thing.

"I am truly sorry Mistress Alex. How curt of me to think of matching our dinner wardrobes as an acceptable gesture for two people of our acquaintance. Please, I beg you to forget this mishap and enjoy a lovely dinner with me. Here, let me pour you a glass of wine," Mitchie rambled after they had both been seated. She filled Alex's glass with the Bordeaux and topped off her own. Alex came back to her senses, though only slightly, enjoying her submersion into the light feeling brought on by the other girl.

"Now, now, there is no need for that my darling. I find your gesture quite…" Alex wrinkled her nose as she thought of the appropriate word, "cute."

Mitchie settled back into her seat. Normally, she would have argued against the use of the word 'cute' when in reference to her, but not this time. It was taken complimentarily as she sipped on her wine. They easily participated in idle chit-chat and awaited their food; talking endlessly about the many nothings that had made up their day. Their wine glasses remained bottomless.

The food arrived not too long into their third glass of wine, and shortly after that, conversation slowed in order to satisfy surpassed hunger. Compliments on the food were paid per usual, and each girl enjoyed the brief silence of each other's company after the meal was done. They drank their wine continuously, becoming more inebriated by the moment. Only a wine as fine and expensive as Bordeaux would be resistant to food's absorption.

"So, I ran into a colleague of yours in the city today," Alex stated with the slightest slur of her words. She was not used to the rich wine; it had affected her since the first glass.

"Oh really, who is that?"

"Some man by the name of Dean Moriarty." Mitchie froze up at the mentioning of the stranger's name. Her defenses automatically arose and her eyes darkened inconspicuously. The wine had very much loosened her inhibitions as well, but the seriousness of the situation still broke through.

"Alex, you must promise me you will stay away from that man. Dean is no colleague of mine and no friend to you. He is not a good man at all. Please promise me right here, right now that you will cease contact with him," Mitchie all but whispered in the air. She fought desperately to keep eye contact through her drunken haze. Alex opened her mouth to speak, and the look in her eyes implied it would be anything but what the other girl wished to hear. But Mitchie really needed to hear it, and placed a hand to Alex's knee, effectively stopping the girl from continuing otherwise.

"Fine! I promise not to see or speak to him again!" She called out, the effects of the wine and exhaustion stronger than ever. This being so, the seriousness of the conversation would not hold much longer and Alex was feeling quite brave, "Oh Mitchie, there's no need to get jealous! Currently, I will admit, my affections are only given to one man….well, woman in this case…."this made the well-oiled girl laugh aloud before she continued, "No, but seriously… I only even went into the city today to buy you a gift—Oh poo!" she called out alarming Mitchie.

"What? What is it?"

"Oh nothing. I only just spent the entire day picking out the perfect gift to show my appreciation for you letting me stay here, and I left the damned thing up in my room!" Alex became upset with herself for being so forgetful. She pouted in her seat, making Mitchie giggle at her frustration.

"It is quite alright my dear. I can always get it from you late—"

"Do you like to dance Master Mitchie," Alex changed the subject, already bored with the previous one. Mitchie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but much like Alex, the alcohol had now gotten the best of her and allowed the conversation to once again shift about most shamelessly.

"I suppose…"Mitchie answered gingerly.

"Wonderful! Then you must dance with me!" Alex exclaimed as she got up from her seat and tugged at Mitchie's hands to pull her to the empty part of the terrace, closer to the band.

"Oh, no, no, no…you've misunderstood me. I only said that I liked to dance, not that I actually could…I am truly an atrocious dancer," Mitchie corrected. She made herself heavy, like lead, so that she could not be pulled away to the dance area.

"Well then, I shall teach you how _not_ to be an atrocious dancer and then you can mean both…please just dance with me." Alex stood before the girl, with soft begging eyes. Mitchie silently cursed herself for having bought the girl a dress that fit her so deliciously. For if she hadn't she may have had the slightest chance at refusal. It was too late, however. She was suckered in by the delightful girl before her and unconsciously followed her to the dance floor like a defenseless puppy.

The band from the previous evening prepared themselves to play, re-tuning thier instruments that had gone offkey to the moist evening air. While they fumbled about, Alex pulled Mitchie tight to her. She had been formally trained in ballroom dancing and knew, very well, the inappropriateness of the amount of closeness the two shared; but she readily ignored it. She had been longing for the other girl's touch for too long by this point and could not bring herself to stick with such formalities. Mitchie, on the other hand, knew nothing about ballroom dancing, and stood there shocked at the other girl's boldness. The alcohol clouded her mind. She suddenly became aware of her hands, fighting this haze so that they would no longer float dumbly in the air. Alex grabbed one in her own, and rested the other on her hip. In their closeness, their chests were pressed together, and their stomachs would touch with every inhalation. Their faces lingered closely together, and the desire to kiss bubbled within them both.

The abrupt musical introduction distracted them so, as Alex began to lead in time to the music. She continued to lead in a four-step pattern until Mitchie got the hang of it and took over. Soon enough they were waltzing circles about the terrace. Nonetheless, with every time Mitchie twirled the girl outwards and away, the intense need for body contact grew within them both. So much so, that by the return from her third outward spin, Mitchie wrapped both arms around Alex's waist and held her tightly, as if to never let her go. Alex gasped as she was being pulled so aggressively close to Mitchie; her hands instinctively wrapped themselves around Mitchie's neck. Their foreheads rested against each other as they gently swayed to the music.

"Mitchie, you're shaking," Alex stipulated, closing the distance between them, rubbing her hands on the girl's arms to warm her. Mitchie stopped her and pulled away to better look her in the eyes.

"You do this to me Alex," she began, holding up one of her shaky hands as an example, "Every time you touch me, everything I know goes away. And right now I have let myself feel so much for you in this moment that I have tried to ignore since the moment I first laid eyes on you. I've let myself go too far, and I fear I cannot go back. Not tonight…"

Alex couldn't hold herself back any longer either. She grasped the sides of Mitchie's face and forced their lips together. Mitchie opened her mouth to the other girl's eager tongue. Alex's hands dropped from Mitchie's face and slid their way down her chest, stopping briefly to feel every body part along the way. They stopped on the girl's stomach, groping the hard abdomen beneath them, sending a load moan up through Alex's vocal chords. She needed more though, so the girl's shirt quickly became un-tucked and desperate hands slipped underneath to the warm flesh.

Mitchie kissed the girl more fervently when she felt fingers on her bare stomach and attempted to walk them inside to a more private room. They fumbled into the hallway, still hungrily attacking the other's lips. This became their main focus, and Mitchie soon pinned Alex to a wall. She kissed her way down Alex's jawline and sucked down hard when she reached the girl's neck. Mitchie wedged a leg between Alex's heated core in order to get better access. She felt like she couldn't get close enough.

Soon enough, Mitchie's hands found their way to the girl's legs. She slid them roughly up the girl's thighs, catching the dress in her caress. Alex's leg automatically moved with Mitchie's hand and wrapped around the girl's waist. This made the passionate fire grow rampantly between them. Mitchie no longer controlled her hands as they cupped and squeezed Alex's pert breasts, causing the girl to moan out in delight.

"Beh—ahhhhh-Bed—mmmm—bedroom…" Alex gasped between moans. Mitchie was happy to appease. Fueled by pure passionate adrenaline, she lifted Alex's other leg around her waist and lifted the girl off the floor. Alex only broke their kiss to squeal in excitement at being lifted and the feel of Mitchie's hands squeezing tightly to her ass. But she soon missed the contact and held Mitchie's face in her hands to control another deep kiss.

This made it quite difficult for Mitchie to direct them through the hallways to her room. There were a few times she lost herself in Alex's sweet kisses and fell into walls; fell into furniture; knocked off vases and lamps to the ground. But Alex was so tightly wrapped around her that she would have no choice but to carry on. Eventually they made it to Mitchie's room, and burst through the doors still locked in their zealous lip-lock. Mitchie walked them to the bed and laid Alex back down upon it slowly; letting every vertebrae delicately touch down before the next. As soon as she had the girl fully laid out, she slowly stood up and backed away.

Alex sat up on the bed quickly, confused by the sudden loss of contact. She made to stand, but Mitchie held her hand out and shook her head to stop her. Mitchie's fingers then slowly began to loosen the tie around her neck so she could slip it off and her jacket slipped off to the floor along with it. Those same fingers unbuttoned each and every button of her shirt all the way down the column. Her shoes and socks were kicked off and the belt around her waist slipped smoothly from her pinstripe pants. She unfastened her pants and then swiftly made her way to Alex's feet. She carefully took each foot in her hand, one by one, and removed each Cuban heel, brushing her lips upon each of the girl's toes.

When she finished this, she slinked her way up Alex's body. Her nose grazed lightly across milky thighs, defined hip bone, smooth flat stomach, and through the valley of the girl's breasts. As she did this, she guided Alex back down to the bed. One arm rested beside the girl's head as support, and the other bunched the puffy petticoat up around her stomach. There was a rush of cold air breezing between Alex's legs, that when mixed with the flood of wetness, sent her reeling for relief.

"Please, I need you to continue touching me," Alex whined grabbing tight to Mitchie's ass and forcing them back together again. This caused their crotches to collide more intimately than they ever had before.

A guttural moan rang out from Alex's throat. She was not certain as to what she should do next, but she was quite certain that she didn't want the feeling to stop. Mitchie went back to kissing the girl's neck, still keeping this closeness, and slowly grinding their hips together in the process. Every thrust of Mitchie's hips made Alex moan out louder, and her eyes rolled almost lifelessly to the back of her head. She could feel herself getting wetter and wetter at the contact, and secured her fingers through Mitchie's belt loops to assure it wouldn't stop.

But the desire grew unbearably, and they both struggled for more release. In a bold attempt, Alex pushed at Mitchie's pants to tug them down. Mitchie understood this message clearly and sat up, only momentarily, in order to remove them. She slid them down off her body and kicked them off into the floor along with her underwear too. Before her she saw the beautifully flushed Alex still squirming about in her desire. Her eyes traveled down the struggling girl's body and froze on the dainty silk panties stained with avid want. Mitchie couldn't resist touching the delectable sight before her, causing Alex to take in a sharp hissing breath.

As wetness coated her fingers, Mitchie's heartbeat raced and her eyes grew even darker with lust. She hooked her fingers in the tiny band and practically ripped them from Alex's open legs. She gazed upon the girl's bare sex only briefly before falling down to the girl once more. She thrust her hips forward only once as their bare pussies touched for the first time. The severe amount of resulting pleasure caused both women to unexpectedly seize up. Small ripples of orgasm flowed through their core. They were both caught off guard by the initial shock, but soon grinded together in fierce determination.

"My god, you're so fucking wet!" Mitchie huffed next to Alex's ear. Alex's arms were locked around the other girl's neck, holding her as closely as she possibly could. Her chin rested on Mitchie's shoulder to which she would occasionally bite down.

"Ungh—you're only making me wetter!" Alex screamed out in pleasure. Mitchie smothered the girl's lips with her own, which barely muffled the continuous moans.

"Please God! I can't take it anymore…" Alex called out against Mitchie's lips.

"Anything you wish my love," Mitchie whispered against Alex's ear. The contact made shock waves flow throughout the pleading girl's body.

As Mitchie slipped down the girl's body, Alex's hand came to her head and pressed her to move faster. She obliged willingly, and soon came face-to-face with the girl's hot dripping center. There was no hesitation as Mitchie dived in greedily taking her claim. The moans Alex had been making before now became raucous and more pleading. She writhed viciously under Mitchie's merciless tongue. The most pleasing feeling she had ever felt before began to churn deep within her stomach.

Upon Alex's most carnal reaction, Mitchie lunged a finger into the girl's gushing hole. This sent Alex into a fit of pleasure as her back arched off the bed and the sheets became clenched in her outstretched hands. She opened herself wider for Mitchie, feeling that pleasure in her stomach rise up through her chest. Mitchie knew Alex was hanging on the edge and attacked the girl's clit eagerly to push her over.

"Oh my God, Mitchie please—Ungh—it feels so good—I can't hold it in anymore!" She cried, clawing at Mitchie's head in attempt to press it closer to her dripping sex.

"Let it out baby! I want to taste you in my mouth…" Mitchie hummed into the other girl's pussy, enjoying the warmth tangy smell that began to intoxicate her very being. Alex needed no further encouragement as she let the pent up orgasm rip through her.

Mitchie hungrily sucked the flowing remnants from the girl grinding her face mercilessly. Her tongue dipped deeply into the opening that offered the succulent treat. Alex's legs clamped Mitchie's head as she screamed through her powerful orgasm. She fell limp instantaneously as it ended. Her head grew light and her sight grew dim as she lay there in the aftershock of her ecstasy. If it hadn't been for the light rise and fall of her fluttering chest, it would have appeared as if she were no longer living. Mitchie lapped up the last evidence of the girl's orgasm before crawling up to join her. She rested her head on the girl's lightly heaving breast, while stroking light circles on her thighs.

Alex's fingers progressively stroked through Mitchie's hair as she came down from the rapturous high. The moonlight shined in upon them, blessing each and every dance they shared throughout the night.

* * *

><p>That is the end of chapter 3! But, please be aware, this is not the happy fairytale ending. There is a lot more to come, and I will post it ASAP! Remember, your reviews make me a better writer, so I would appreciate you leaving them! Thank you for reading!<p> 


End file.
